African Cup of Nations 2010

Ghanaian supporters at the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/manbeastextraordinaire/ / CC BY 2.0

This week saw the start of this year's African Cup of Nations in Angola. The return of Drogba, Essien, Toure and co back to Africa, a very enjoyable tournament but the headlines evolve around the gunmen that fired on the Togolese team on Friday. I understand this and I think it's right for journalists to cover this story and raise awareness for what is a problem in many African countries, especially with the World Cup heading to South Africa this summer. But I think to vilify the whole of Africa and suggest it isn't capable of hosting this year's World Cup is going too far.

So far the Cup of Nations has seen some exciting matches, including incredible comebacks (Angola looked home and dry in the opening match when they were leading 4-0 with 11 minutes to go, only for Mali to peg them back to draw 4-4!) Then we saw Malawi unexpectedly beat Algeria 3-0 and then minnows Burkina Faso drew 0-0 with tournament favourites Ivory Coast. The results kept coming as Egypt came from 1-0 down to beat Nigeria 3-1! So far the matches have been exciting and I expect that to continue.

Another aspect is the incredible spectacle that Angola has put on to host the tournament. The opening ceremony at the 11 de Novembre National Stadium in Luanda was spectacular and the match 4-4 draw to follow provided a great start to the tournament which it really needed following the shootings which had tarnished its image before it had begun. The fans have been fantastic so far also, producing an atmosphere full of passion which many African fans are renowned for.

I think column inches will continue to be written about the safety of holding tournaments in this part of the world for the next few weeks and even more so in the run up to the tournament. It's a shame as I think this tournament could have many more fantastic moments to remember it for but unfortunately there's only one thing people will ever remember about Angola 2010.

Has The Cup Lost It's Magic?

Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_FA_Cup_Trophy.jpg

This weekend saw the FA Cup's Third Round take place and many of the match reports mention the dwindling stadium attendances and the disappearance of the magic which the Cup used to possess.

The Third Round is normally a big day for a football fan as the famous competition finally introduces the big boys and is the stage where famous giant killings are staged. We saw one this weekend when League One's Leeds United beat Premier League Champions Manchester United at Old Trafford which produced the type of magic and excitement we have come to expect from the competition. But some of the attendances around the country suggest that for many fans, going to the FA Cup isn't that important any more.

The weekend saw ten Premier League teams at home and just two of those (Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur) saw their attendances go above their average season attendance. That means Chelsea, Everton, West Ham (who faced Arsenal), Aston Villa (who faced Blackburn), Sunderland, Fulham, Portsmouth and Wigan all saw their attendances for the FA Cup fall below their season average. Wigan who entertained Hull, in an all Premier League tie, had a gate of just 5,335 which was only beaten by Torquay's home match with Brighton which had a crowd of 4,028.

The falling attendances make it clear that the FA Cup perhaps doesn't mean what it used to, but I think its not just a case of fans falling out of love with the cup. The average season attendances are made up mainly of season ticket holders whom are expected to then pay extra for the cup matches on top of the few hundred quid they pay at the start of the season. And another key fact here is that for many clubs, cup tickets aren't cheap, for example West Ham were charging between £28 and £40.50 for season ticket holders for their home tie against Arsenal and then people wonder why they only attracted 25,549 fans for the tie of the round (5,200 of which were Arsenal fans!)

The ticket prices coupled with managers fielding weaker sides to save their their best eleven for league ties makes the FA Cup a lot less glamorous. Realistically, who is that happy about paying upwards of £30 for to see their sides reserves? Fans are clearly falling out of love with the most prestigious trophy in domestic football and it's time the FA worked with the clubs to make sure the fans come first and the trophy gets the attendances and treatment it deserves.

Travel Review: Prague

I visited Prague just before Christmas and decided to take the opportunity to write a short review about the trip.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised about Prague, I went with very little knowledge of the place and indeed the Czech Republic. And with the country having come out of the Communist regime 20 years ago so I was sceptical as to what the place and people would be like.

Like I said I was pleasantly surprised and found the place to very nice and indeed full of history and incredible architecture. The architecture of the area was what impressed me the most. The buildings, bridges and surrounding areas were very impressive.

In the main area of Prague there is many tourists attractions as the city if full of history and culture. This includes the Charles Bridge, which is decorated by 28 statues and stands at 520 m long and 10 m wide. It also produces some of the best views of The Vltava River and the Prague Castle at both night and day. You can see some photo's I took at the bottom of this blog!

The Prague Castle was another highlight to visit as it is where the President of the Republic currently resides and if often referred to as the political centre of the state. A huge area with many more impressive buildings including the New Palace and Royal Palace. The St. Vitus' Cathedral is in the third courtyard of the area is a fantastic building and is regarded as the most sacred place in all of the Czech lands.

Old Town Square is a hub of activity, especially during Christmas periods as it is where the Christmas market operates. It also plays host to many cafes and restaurants and is also a few minutes walk to New Town which is again full of cafes, restaurants, bars and shops. The Astronomical Clock and The Cathedral of Our Lady before Tyn and The Old Town Hall. A must visit for anybody going to Prague. Other places to visit include the Rudolfinum which plays host to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and other classical concerts and The National Theatre. Both are again superb examples of the impressive architecture in this area of Prague.

Prague was a lovely place to visit, especially considering it's a country which has only been out of Communist Rule for 20 years, but with a a big inyerest in good (and cheap) beer, good food and of course history and culture, Prague offers something for almost everybody! Check out some of my pictures below:

Enjoying a Czech Dark Beer - Krusovice

Prague Castle

Rudolfinum

View from Charles Bridge at Night

Astronomical Clock

View of Old Town Square

View across the Vtlava River including Prague Castle

View from Charles Bridge in the Day

View of the Prague Castle Grounds

Snow Falling on Charles Bridge!