FA Cup 3rd Round Draw

The 3rd round of the FA Cup was done on the 28th November 2010

Burnley v Port Vale


Coventry v Crystal Palace

Bristol City v Sheffield Wednesday

Fulham v Peterborough

Doncaster v Wolves

Brighton or FC United of Manchester v Portsmouth

Huddersfield v Dover Athletic

Crawley Town or Swindon v Derby

West Ham v Barnsley

Reading v West Brom

Arsenal v Leeds

Sheffield Utd v Aston Villa

Leicester v Man City

Bolton v York

Blackburn v QPR

Swansea v Colchester

Wycombe v Hereford or Lincoln

Stevenage v Newcastle

Burton Albion v Middlesbrough

Millwall v Birmingham

Southampton v Blackpool

Watford v Hartlepool or Yeovil

Chelsea v Ipswich

Sunderland v Notts County or Bournemouth

Scunthorpe v Everton

Man Utd v Liverpool

Hull v Wigan

Stoke v Cardiff

Tottenham v Charlton or Luton

Preston v Nottingham Forest

Norwich v Droylsden or Leyton Orient

Torquay v Carlisle

Benfica Travelling Support

A few videos of the Benfica fan base.

Many of the videos are amateur and recorded on phones, but giving you an idea of how well supported Benfica are, they arethe only club able to fill the stadium of the opposing team, completly out Numbering the home Supporters.

Benfica has three main support groups, the eldest being the Diabos Vermelhos (Red Devils) created in 1982, the second major and with more notoriou following is the No Name Boys created in 1992, and consider themselves as the major movement in Portuguese football. The third is a group called Grupo Manks, created in 1996, the Manks are a split away group from the Non Name Boys.

Benfica win the league at the Bessa Stadium home of Boavist in 2005, the entire ground is RED




Benfica playing at the City Of Coimbra Stadium, Against Academica, the sea of RED

Belem Stadium, the home of Belenenses the invasion of RED continues

This is another away game at the City of Leiria Stadium, the RED is clear to see and hear.

Even in Futsal the biggest following is RED in th video below, Benfica won the European Futsal

Ronaldo's perfect goal

After the game on Wednesday vs Spain, many people took to Youtube, if only to see the piece of skill Ronaldo engineered to lob Casillas.

The goal was so wrongly disallowed, that the linesman should hang his head in shame.
I know it was only meant to a friendly, but the Iberian Peninsula Derby is never about just a friendly.

The run up to the goal was in itself a good piece of entertainment, and although I as much as many Portuguese people are critical of Ronaldo, for his attitude and sometimes, self glory, we all admire what the man has achieved, and his hard work to be where he is.  The goal should have stood for the fact that Nani was ON side when Ronaldo chipped the ball over Casillas.

You will see from the video below that Ronny sent Pique sliding on his arse, leaving Nani about 2 yards on side, and even if not that Puyol was also putting Nani in line.

Have a look at this video and it clearly shows the goal should have stood in more then one way.

Fond Memories 2002/2003

Memories of my time at Acton Ealing Whistlers where I enjoyed one of my best times in youth football.

We won the lague in our first season by only losing one game which we were cheated outright.

The match on the right where we won 8-4 was our second match of the season, the match saw the attendence by Jason Roberts.  It was also a match my brother-in-law scored six goals, after playing the first game game in goal.

The 'Classico' history

Sunday night in Portugal sees the clash of the titans as Benfica travel to FC Porto.

Benfica are currently in second place and seven points behind their opponents FC Porto. Benfica can close the gap to four points, if they manage to win. FC Porto could make their season this Sunday, if they topple Benfica, the ten point gap will take a miracle, or indeed some naivety to allow their opponents to catch up.

Benfica will by inspired by the magical match winning performance over Lyon where they ran out 4-3 winners in Tuesday night in the Champions League.

FC Porto will want to improve on their draw with Beskitas on Thursday, so they are sure to be in their bullish mood.

The ‘Classico’ dates as far back as 1912 and the great rivalry, which more to do with regions then football at times, brings out the passion and hostility from both the players and the supporters.

Benfica have acquired 2,500 tickets for their travelling fans. Last season for the same fixture, FC Porto supporters bought 3,500 Golf balls, and we can safely say there are not that many golfers in the city of Porto.

But this game will bring the whole football loving supporter in Portugal, to a sofa, stool, empty space or even from the relaxing bed, to watch one of the most hated rivalries in world football.
Below is a story on the ‘Classico’, but take into account that this same term can be adapted into a Sporting-FC Porto match, and is referred to as a ‘derby’

The first Match

The first ever match between Porto and Benfica was a friendly played on 28th of April 1912, having secured the Lisbon Championship title, Benfica arranged to travel to Porto to play a double header friendly against FC Porto: In the morning the reserves played, with Benfica winning 2-1; in the afternoon, it was to be the first ever FC Porto and Benfica, with both sending out their first teams, Benfica came away winners over the northerners, with an impressive 8-2.

The first official game between the two is registered on the 28th of June 1931, a game for the final of the Portuguese Championship 1930/31 at the Campo Amado, in Coimbra, Benfica won that game 3-0 goals from Vitor Silva (2) and Denis.
The 'Classico' in the league

Both teams faced each other in the north, in Porto, to record the first ever 'Classico' game in the history of the league, and it was for the 3rd game of the league season, the game was held at Estadio Lima, on the 3rd of February 1935, the game kicked off at 14.40pm, ten minutes later then scheduled. The match referee was Manuel Oliveira from Conimbriga.

FC Porto won that first game, 2-1, with striker Lopes Carneiro scoring on the 15th minute, with the first half finishing 1-0.

In the second half Benfica tried their best to equalize, but on the 58th minute, a penalty was awarded to FC Porto, Pinga stepped up, and missed it, the referee, despite some protest from Benfica, allowed the penalty to be re-taken, Pinga stepped up again, and missed it a second time. Allowing for Augusto Amaro to enter the hall of fame, as being the first Goalkeeper, to save a penalty in the league, but that did not stop Pinga from scoring on the rebound and Porto went 2-0 ahead.

Alfredo Valadas, the Benfica striker, scored two minutes later to reduce the damage.

Porto held on until the final whistle. The result left FC Porto on par with Belenesnes on points, and benfica with two points behind.
FC PORTO: Soares dos Reis - Avelino Martins, Jerónimo Faria - João Nova, Álvaro Pereira, Carlos Pereira - Lopes Carneiro, Waldemar Mota, Acácio Mesquita, Pinga, Carlos Nunes.

Manager: Joseph Szabo.

BENFICA: Augusto Amaro - Gatinho, Gustavo Teixeira - Francisco Albino, Álvaro Pina, Gaspar Pinto - Domingos Lopes, Luís Xavier, Torres, Rogério Sousa, Alfredo Valadas.

Manager: Vítor Gonçalves.
GOALS: 15' Lopes Carneiro (1-0), 60' Pinga (2-0), 62' Alfredo Valadas (2-1).

The 'Classico' in Lisbon

It was on the 24th of March 1935, where Benfica and Porto played each other in Lisbon, the game was held at Benfica’s first ground, Campo das Amoreiras, for precisely the 10th game of the league season.

Porto was three points ahead of Beleneses and four points ahead of Sporting and Benfica.

The Classico was a sell out, with 20,000 people packing Campo das Amoreiras, Porto had sent two trains full of supporters to Lisbon.

The reception FC Porto received when they entered the pitch, was that of intimidation. This was due to Sporting and Beleneses supporters joining the Benfica crowd. The atmosphere inside the Estadio das Amoreiras was very aggressive, supporters shouted "Out Out Out".

Benfica won 3-0, midfielder Gaspar Pinto scored the first, benefiting from a deflection off FC Porto defender Jeronimo. Striker Rogerio Sousa put Benfica further ahead on the 30th minute to guarantee Benfica finished the first half two goals ahead.

With the game going into the 33rd minute, striker Vitor Silva made it 3-0, re-launching the title race, as Sporting had beaten Academica do Porto in the Estadio do Lima, 3-2, and Belenenses beat Academica, at the Salinas, 4-0, benefiting from the slip up of FC Porto.

After the game FC Porto's manager, Portuguese-Hungarian, Joseph Szabo, complained of the hostile atmosphere created by the supporters of the three biggest clubs in Lisbon.

However, Szabo guaranteed that the title did not escape from FC Porto, on the last day of the season, FC Porto drew with Sporting at Campo Grande, to win the league

BENFICA: Augusto Amaro - Gatinho, Gustavo Teixeira - Francisco Albino, Lucas, Gaspar Pinto - Torres, Fernando Cardoso, Vítor Silva, Rogério Sousa, Alfredo Valadas.

Manager: Vítor Gonçalves.
FC PORTO: Soares dos Reis - Carlos Pereira, Jerónimo Faria - João Nova, Álvaro Pereira, Raul Castro - Waldemar Mota, António Santos, Lopes Carneiro, Pinga, Carlos Nunes.

Manager: Joseph Szabo.

GOALS: 32' Gaspar Pinto (1-0) ; 40' Rogério Sousa (2-0) ; 78' Vítor Silva (3-0).

 Below find some head to heads and also a Summary.