By Michael Kachitsa The club was formed in 1880, under the name of St. Mark’s, after an initiative by Arthur Connell (the rector of St Mark’s Church) and his daughter, Anna Connell. After calling them self Gorton FC and Ardwick AFC for shorter periods, they would change their name to Manchester City in 1894. This coincides with some financial troubles that eventually led to restructuring of the club. The name change – combined with moving to the spacious grounds of Hyde Road a couple of years later – saw Manchester City become the most popular club in the city, with an enthusiastic fan base that followed them wherever they went. This rise in stature led to the club earning promotion to the First Division in 1899. Shortly after City had claimed their first trophy in 1904 (FA Cup), seventeen of their players were suspended due to allegations of financial misconduct; this led to the club’s star player, Billy Meredith, moving across town to United, where he later won two league titles. In 1923, the club moved to Maine Road due to a fire that had destroyed the main stand at Hyde Road. In 1934, City returned to the path of success by winning their second FA Cup. Along the way, the club broke a record for highest attendance in a single game – which stands to this day – with 84,569 home fans gathering at Maine Road for a sixth round match against Stoke City. Three years later, City took home a First Division trophy in style, by scoring over 100 goals during the course of the season. Nevertheless, they were relegated the following season, which was the first time a reigning champion team were demoted. A takeover by the Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour in 2008 signaled a new and triumphant era. Now one of the richest clubs in the world, City immediately started getting busy on the transfer market, acquiring many big-name signings for record fees. The five years following Mansour’s take over the club spent over £500 millions on players. The Abu Dhabi influence was also displayed by the decision to change the name of the home stadium to Etihad Stadium in 2011. This shopping spree saw the club relive their glory years, winning Premier League, one FA Cup and League Cup titles in the period that followed. A high point was the league victory in 2017-2018 season when City became the first team ever in Premier League to collect 100 points in one season. City made also a new record in consecutive league wins (18).
Category: Sports
The History Southampton FC
By Michael Kachitsa The club was formed in 1885 by members of the St. Mary’s Church. The church-based roots are still a big part of the club’s identity, as evidenced by their most popular nickname – The Saints. Upon winning the Southern League in 1897, the club changed its name to Southampton Football Club. A year later, they moved to The Dell, a stadium which would be their home for the next century. Southampton followed up the 1897 Southern League victory by claiming five more titles in 1898, 1899, 1901, 1903 and 1904. During this period, they also made two FA Cup finals; however, Bury and Sheffield United would prove to be superior competition. They would finally join the Third Division of the Football League in 1920, advancing to the Second Division the very next season. It took Southampton until 1966 to reach the First Division, where they remained for the next eight years. The top-flight gave the club their first taste of European football, with a couple of unsuccessful forays into the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the UEFA Cup. But their finest moment came in 1976, two years after being relegated; in the FA Cup final, Southampton shocked the overwhelming favorite Manchester United 1-0 to grab the first major trophy in their history. They would almost claim a Football League Cup title as well three years later, but lost against Nottingham Forest. The club’s second top-flight campaign (1978-2005) would have far more longevity. Even though they did finish as runners-up to Liverpool in 1984, the clubs best result in the top league, most of this period was spent fighting to avoid another relegation. They stayed up mostly thanks to Matt Le Tissier, a gifted forward whose technical skills and loyalty to the club would make him the most beloved and influential player in Southampton’s history. Le Tissier spent his entire professional career in Southampton, scoring 161 goals in 456 appearances. Following another FA Cup final loss in 2003 and a relegation to League One in 2009, the club was surrounded with numerous financial difficulties. Their fortunes took, however, a turn for the better after the club was bought by businessman Markus Liebherr in 2010. It took Southampton only two years to return to the Premier League. Considering they have spent the majority of their recent history in the top-flight, it might be a little surprising that Southampton Football Club only have a single major honor to their name – the 1976 FA Cup. Nonetheless, their colorful tradition and the number of great players who wore their shirts make Southampton a household name of English football. The club’s youth academy is renowned for consistently producing top talent and affording them the maximum opportunity for growth.
The History of Netball
By Michael Kachitsa Netball is a relatively old sport which has grown from humble roots to become a major sport throughout the world. It was developed in England in the late 1890’s, following the introduction of basketball a few years earlier. The sport quickly grabbed hold, with women throughout the British empire participating as a way to socialise and stay healthy. Male and mixed netball competitions have begun to develop in recent times, and are becoming more and more popular every year. Netball has traditionally been dominated by both Australia (11 titles and 3 second place finishes) and New Zealand (4 titles and 8 second place finishes), with Australia the current world champions. The only other country to win a world cup is Trinidad and Tobago, who won in 1979. In 1891, an American schoolteacher by the name of James Naismith invented what has become one of the most popular sports in the world: basketball. However, the accepted dress of 19th century women prevented them from participating in basketball in the same way men could. They had trouble with movements such as dribbling and jumping. This led to female teachers putting their heads together and adapting the game to allow women to participate. The rules of netball (originally known as women’s basketball) can be traced back to this time. From here, the sport quickly spread throughout the world. A match at Madame Ostenburg’s College in 1895 was the first time the game was played in England. From here, colonists rapidly dispersed the sport throughout the British empire, where it often became the most popular female sport. However, the rules of netball weren’t officially developed until six years later. It is thought that an American gym teacher called Clara Baer began to create official rules in 1898 when she asked Naismith for a copy of the rules of basketball. Using this copy, she identified the areas where ‘female basketball’ differed and modified the rules. This document formed the basis for the official rules as we know them today. In 1901, these rules were published and netball became an official competitive sport. As netball spread to the British colonies, it began to develop independently in different places. Rules changed according to location, and team sizes ranged from five to nine players on court at any one time. The rules were not standardised until almost 60 years later, when the International Federation of Women’s Basketball and Netball Associations was developed. The rules were officially standardised in 1960 at a conference in Sri Lanka which was attended by representatives from Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa, The West Indies, and England. From humble beginnings, netball has gone from strength to strength to become one of the most popular sports in countries across the world. Over 20 million people from at least 80 different countries play netball today. Australia has been the world’s best at netball since the sport made its way to the country. They have won the majority of world titles and major tournaments over history, with 11 of 16 world cups and 3 of 5 Commonwealth Games gold medals.
Best tips for Young footballers
By Michael Kachitsa Getting the criticism-praise ratio right when coaching young football players is a vital skill and will make a big difference to your team’s success.A good tip in football coaching is to recognise that every person has an “emotional tank” that fills up and drains. A young football player with a low emotional tank is irritable, less coachable and unable to deal well with tough situations. A football player whose tank is filled will be more cheerful, more coachable and better able to deal with tough situations. Research has also shown that a plus/minus ratio of praise to criticism of 5:1 or better is ideal for children’s learning. When the ratio drops below 5:1, children become discouraged (their tanks become drained). When fans are cheering for a team, those players experience their tanks filling up. We want to coach in a way that will fill the tanks of our players so they can play their best at all times.
Griffin Saenda Sports Complex taking shape – Pictorial
By MANA The Malawi State President, Dr Lazarus Chakwers recently visited and inspected the Griffin Sayenda Sports Complex Project. President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera honoured late Griffin Sayenda who was a seasoned Malawi National Netball Team coach of many year by naming the Multipurpose indoor games complex in Lilongwe in his name. Here below are the Pictures from the event courtesy of Govat Nyirenda of State House:
The History of F.C Barcelona
By Michael Kachitsa In 1899, football pioneer Joan Gamper decided he wanted to form a football club. After eleven other enthusiasts responded to his newspaper advert, the dream became a reality and Barcelona was born. The new club started off its journey successfully enough; after losing to Bizcaya in the final of the inaugural Copa del Rey in 1902, Barcelona bounced back in style by winning the competition eight times between then and 1928 (they were also doing well in the regional Campionat de Catalunya). The following year, they clinched the inaugural La Liga before entering a period of decline due to the ongoing political conflicts in the country, which eventually grew so large that they resulted in the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and the beginning of Franco’s regime. Gamper’s time in Barcelona ended abruptly after he was deported from Spain because of political reasons. A few years later he committed suicide. Josep Sunyol had become the new director of FC Barcelona. He was a left-wing politician and this would finally lead to his death, he was executed by the Francoist regime in 1938. While life under Franco was proving arduous from a political point of view (the club was in fact forced to change its name to the less Catalanian and Anglian sounding Barcelona Club de Futbol and the Catalan colors were removed from the crest), the next two decades were reasonably successful for the club. In the period from 1942 to 1957, Barcelona claimed five La Liga titles and five Copa del Rey trophies. Following their move to the newly built Camp Nou, the club’s officials decided to turn a new leaf and appoint Helenio Herrera as the new manager. Under Herrera’s guidance – and with a Ballon d’Or winner Luis Suárez (not the Uruguayan footballer) as the team’s leader on the field – Barcelona won two consecutive La Ligas and one Copa del Rey in the next three years. Even though Barcelona made the history books by becoming the first team to defeat Real Madrid in the European Cup, the 60s as a whole were largely a disappointing time for the club’s supporters. With Di Stefano in his prime, Real Madrid was simply too strong of an opponent and Barcelona had to settle with two Copa del Rey trophies for the decade. Ironically, this would prove to be a common theme in the coming years. In 1973 the Dutch star Johan Cruyff joined the club and was one of the reasons that the team managed to claim a La Liga title in 1974, the first in ten years. The waiting for the next league victory would again hang over ten years until the team with Terry Venables as manager could win another one. This era wasn’t all doom and gloom for Barcelona, though, and the trophy collection would continue to increase rapidly since Barça were far more successful in the cup competitions. During this period, Barcelona won four Copa del Reys and two Cup Winners’ Cups. In 1979, Cruyff came up with the idea of founding a football academy that would function on the same principles as the celebrated Ajax Youth Academy. His proposal was eventually accepted, and an old country building named La Masia was converted into the Academy headquarters. In the years that followed, La Masia became the most revered football academy in the entire world, known as much for its immaculate top-down organization as for the many players who passed through it and became stars. The list of La Masia-bred youngsters includes Josep “Pep” Guardiola, Cesc Fàbregas, Gerard Piqué and Lionel Messi. In 1973 the Dutch star Johan Cruyff joined the club and was one of the reasons that the team managed to claim a La Liga title in 1974, the first in ten years. The waiting for the next league victory would again hang over ten years until the team with Terry Venables as manager could win another one. This era wasn’t all doom and gloom for Barcelona, though, and the trophy collection would continue to increase rapidly since Barça were far more successful in the cup competitions. During this period, Barcelona won four Copa del Reys and two Cup Winners’ Cups.
NRFA to court government departments on football development
By Wisdom Ngwira Mzuzu, March 11, Mana: Re-elected Northern Region Football Association (NRFA) Chairperson, Lameck Khonje has disclosed plans to start approaching government departments at district level for support in football development. Khonje, who was over the weekend given a fresh four-year mandate unopposed to lead NRFA, said football is an integral part of development, hence the plan. “You are aware that government departments at district level all strive to promote various developments. So, as an association running football in the region, we felt it is necessary to start approaching these departments because football is also an integral part of development. “We believe that government departments at district level have various technical skills that can be mainstreamed in football development,” said Khonje. The NRFA boss said the football world has for long neglected government departments at district level, which he said has contributed to under development of the sport. “Reliance on private the sector to help in the development of the game is not enough. We have always neglected government departments,” he said. He said, if these departments are properly used, they may mainstream football-related activities in their usual activities and help in its development. Recently, a renowned local soccer pundit, George Chiusiwa highlighted on the need of involving various sectors in the management of the football sport if it is to develop. Mana/wn/zm/thz
How Football became a Global Sport
By Michael Kachitsa The game’s official history spans over 100 years, but people have enjoyed the sport of kicking around a ball for thousands of years, according to FIFA. While the first World Cup tournament happened in Uruguay in 1930, early scientific evidence of the game is traced back to the second and third centuries BC in China, in a military exercise practiced by the Han Dynasty, the BBC reports. The Chinese game consisted of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers through a small net, fixed into long bamboo canes. The players couldn’t use their hands, relying on their feet, chest, back and shoulders. Another ancient form of the game is Japanese Kemari, which is still played today. The sport doesn’t involve any struggle for possession of the ball. Players stand in a circle and pass the ball to each other, trying not to let it touch the ground. The modern game of soccer evolved after the Romans took their version of the game to Britain in the 1800s, FIFA states. In 1863, school officials at Cambridge University began to divide the sports of soccer and rugby, as more people disapproved of the rugby rule that allows players to run with the ball. That year marked the birth of the Football Association. British imperialists, missionaries and traders brought soccer to the African continent in the 1800s. The first documented professional teams in Africa were established in the 1880s, and the first international match was played in 1872, between England and Scotland. The first full league championship was celebrated in 1888. FIFA was founded in Paris in May 1904. It had seven founding members: France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain (represented by Madrid FC), Sweden and Switzerland. By the late 1930s, there were 51 FIFA members. Over the next half-century, football’s popularity continued to attract new devotees and at the end of the 2007 FIFA Congress, FIFA had 208 members in every part of the world. The United States, along with Mexico and Canada have been selected to host the World Cup in 2026.
When referees were introduced in football.
By Michael Kachitsa In 1581 Richard Mulcaster was writing about a game called ‘foteball’ and suggested that things might go smoother if there was a ‘judge over the parties’. Of course we all know from reading the History Of Football article elsewhere that ‘foteball’ probably had more in common with rugby than the game we know and love today. It wasn’t until the 1840s that players and organisers sought a clarification of the rules of the sport, so it’s interesting that reference to a referee was made in a match report from a Rochdale game in 1842. Having said all of that, these ‘referees’ didn’t operate in quite the same way as we understand the role today. At the start of modern football’s life it was believed that the players were gentlemen. They would never, under any circumstances, deliberately cheat or foul another player. The ‘referee’ was merely there to keep time as accurately as possible so everyone knew when the game was over. Of course, not everyone is a gentleman. Believe it or not there are some unscrupulous characters out there and they began to come to the forefront as the sport of football became more serious and more competitive. When that happened it was decided that each team should have an ‘umpire’ to make decisions when contentious moments arrived in the game. The umpires would discuss the matter between themselves and try to come to an agreement, but if they couldn’t then the issue would be referred to the ‘referee’ who was keeping time and he would have the deciding vote. It wasn’t until 1891, when the Football Association agreed a re-structuring of the Rules of the Game, that referees began to take centre stage and the umpires were turned into linesmen, who assisted from the side. The first ever referee’s society was formed in 1893 in London. The primary purpose of the society was to speak to the different people purporting to be referees in order to discover their qualifications before then appointing them to officiate a given match. The North Staffs Referees’ Club, formed in 1896, came about because the popularity of the game caused more and more people to become referees. They began to get together and teach each other the rules of the game in order to ensure that things went as smoothly as possible, yet in those early days there was no set ‘qualification’ that a person had to have in order to be able to referee a football match. By 1899 there were 27 referee’s societies with 773 members, so the appointment of people to officiate different games became too complicated. It was at that point that responsibility for the organisation of all of the referees swapped over to the Football Association. By 1904 the game had taken off around the rest of the world and that led to the formation of a governing body called FIFA. After initial scepticism, the English FA joined FIFA in 1906. They began to introduce some new rules, such as the one in 1912 that stopped goalkeepers from being allowed to handle the ball outside the area. Source – Football Stadiums
When Mbappe became youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele
By Michael Kachitsa Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele when he put France 4-1 ahead against Croatia. The Brazilian superstar burst onto the scene back in 1958 at the age of just 17, scoring against Sweden in the final of that competition, and Mbappe has done so now in 2018 aged 19. No teenager has scored in the showpiece match since Pele, a run that lasted 60 years, however the Paris Saint-Germain forward has enjoyed a phenomenal tournament. The former Monaco forward is the third youngest player to take part in a World Cup final. Mbappe has scored four goals in his seven appearances in Russia and only Pele bettered this return as a player competing at a World Cup whilst under the age of 20. It was a World Cup in which few teenagers were taken to Russia but one of them, Kylian Mbappe, was among the very best of the entire tournament and claimed the official Young Player award on Sunday. With a goal in the final, the Paris Saint-Germain star made it four in seven games with his pace, dribbling ability and confidence shining throughout. The 19-year-old was named just before the trophy was lifted in Luzhniki Stadium with Luka Modric winning the Golden Ball for best player and Harry Kane the Golden Boot for top scorer.