craighalsall

Liverpool FC’s All-Star Charity Match

Posted on March 31, 2015 by craighalsall

Liverpool FC recently put on an all-star charity football match to raise money for the Alder Hey children’s hospital. The match featured some of Liverpool’s best and well loved players from the last decade as well as current squad players and a host of special guests. Two greats of the club Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher selected their teams prior to the match.

Gerrard’s XI: Brad Jones, Anthony Gerrard, Glen Johnson, John Terry, John Arne Riise, Kevin Nolan, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Ryan Babel, Thierry Henry, Jerome Sinclair.

Gerrard’s substitutes: Scott Dann, Ashley Williams, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Charlie Adam, Jay Spearing, Stephen Warnock, Joao Carlos Teixeira.

Carragher’s XI: Pepe Reina, Jon Flanagan, Jamie Carragher, Alvaro Arbeloa, Martin Kelly, Harry Kewell, Stewart Downing, Lucas, Jonjo Shelvey, Didier Drogba, Mario Balotelli.

Carragher’s substitutes: Peter Gulacsi, Luis Garcia, Craig Noone, Alberto Moreno, Gael Clichy, Fabio Borini, Craig Bellamy.

With match tickets only £20 it was a guaranteed sell out (which it was). The final result of the match was 2-2 with the fans getting to see some great football. Mario Balotelli and Didier Drogba scored for Carragher’s team whilst Steven Gerrard scored two penalties for his team.

As the result did not matter there was plenty of showboating from both sets of teams

Thierry Henry one of the most popular non Liverpool players showed exactly what showboating is.

With 11 minutes into the match Balotelli gave Carragher’s side the lead and the providing the assist 20 minutes later with a through ball which found Drogba to round the goalkeepers before finding the net.

41 minutes gone and Carragher brings down Jerome Sinclair in the box giving Gerrard the chance to pull one back which he calmly does just before half time and then round off the comeback with 56 minutes on the clock with another penalty this time at the Kop end.

The match turned out to be an emotional one for certain LFC players, my favourite amongst them was Fernando Torres he was a Liverpool player for three and a half years before making a £50million switch to rivals Chelsea but he received a heart-warming reception throughout the day as he was adored by many.

Fernando Torres during the Charity Match

The match in itself raised over £60,000 and donations continue to role in by texting and online donations. 100% of the donations are all made the Alder Hey hospital.

The Greatest Sportsmen Of All Time?

Posted on January 16, 2015 by craighalsall

Everyone will argue and have their own opinion on who their favourite Sportsmen is or who is the best of all time, with generation after generation of phenomenal athletes all coming at different times and doing things thought unimaginable, success wise and the legacy they have given themselves that will carry on for a lifetime, to be being role models for all ages and involving millions into participating in the sport they play with audiences wanting to be just like them.

Here is a list on who I think the greatest are, if you have a different opinion let me know in the comments.

Roger Federer (Tennis) 17 grand slam titles
Tiger Woods (Golf) 14 major championships
Lionel Messi (Football) Barcelona’s all time record goal scorer
Michael Jordan (Basketball) NBA’s most valuable 6x
Sir Chris Hoy (Cycling) Britain’s most decorated Olympian

The list I have chosen is a substantial list of just the select few sportsmen who have redefined their sport all have done incredible things in their career but the two I have selected have some incredible stats and collection of trophies. In my opinion Roger Federer is the greatest sportsmen of all time and Lionel Messi second, here are my reasons why I think Federer is the greatest.

Lionel Messi

– Lionel Messi, at 27 Messi have done it all in his 10 year career since debuting for Barcelona, being at the club’s academy at 10 years old he has gone on to be Barcelona’s all time record goal scorer with 400+ goals and en-counting. Now holds the record for most goals scored in Europe’s most prestige competition the UEFA Champions League with 71 goals in 88 appearances, most goals in a calendar year with 91 goals most goals in his respective league in Spain the BBVA also know as La Liga with 50 goals. Along with more individual records that may never be surpassed and team records he will be recognised for being the only player in history to win the Ballon D’Or, also known as world player of the year in four successive years, his closest rival Cristiano Ronaldo has three but not in successive years a trait that may never be beaten.

Roger Federer – Overall the greatest sportsmen for me is Roger Federer, sporting careers can be short careers and can seem like a limited amount of time to win anything even just trophy just once with near on 64 players competing per tournament it makes it even more difficult to win with anyone having the likelihood of winning.

As one of sports most iconic figures and role models all generations see Federer as the greatest with what he has done and how he has influenced millions around the world. During the course of a tennis season there are 4 grand slam tournaments the sports biggest. Federer during his career has totalled up a record 17 grand slam titles the most in history:

Australian Open 4x
French Open 1x
Wimbledon 7x
US Open 5x
ATP World Tour end of year 6x

During his 17 titles, he won the US open 5 years in a row starting from 2004-2008 the only man in history to do that and also holds the record for most Wimbledon titles which he also won 5 years in a row until his streak came to an end by his greatest rival Rafael Nadal, the Wimbledon final which was held in 2008 was one of tennis’ greatest matches lasting 5 hours and 37 minutes which also stopped him from winning 6 in a row which Swedish player Bjorn Borg holds the record for winning most in a row. But with Federer winning 7 overall, that record could last for decades to come. His grand slam record also shows he has a 81.5% win rate at the 4 major tournaments.

Racking up now 1000 wins in his career and only 227 losses he certainly has one of the best win to loss ratio in any sport and during tennis’ open era the only man to win a title in 15 consecutive years. So this is why I think he is the greatest sportsmen to live and in my lifetime and would take an extraordinary talent to replicate what he has done in tennis or any sport.

Federer with his 5th Wimbledon title

So as the years role by in sports new talent is emerging all the time, we may here of certain names now and think nothing of them just like these icons were at some stage but who knows they could eventually turn out to be great sportsmen we see and can continue to grow up watching them and comparing these stars to past sportsmen as the years and decades go by.