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A Woman's Game - the exciting summer in Germany

Submitted by Fans On Stands on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 17:18
It seemed only a few months ago that we  witnessed one of the greatest sporting spectacles of all time – the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. A glorious month long event which culminated in the finals where Spain became the long awaited champions – the first time in their illustrious footballing history. The match provided us much to talk about – not just because Spain had created history but more so because  the contrasting style of the two finalists was laid bare. Spain were the masters of intricate passing and possession. Holland were the aggressors, the finalists who were willing to win at all costs. They played ugly and left the finals having lost the finalsand sadly, a bit of their reputation.
 
And now, just as we consign the 2010 tournament to history, we welcome the arrival of FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™. While in terms of popularity there is still some headroom for women’s football, especially when compared with the men’s version, we are excited by the feast of football which we can expect this summer. There is increasing interest in women’s football not only because of increased ability and passion, but also because women’s football is also throwing up exciting personalities such as England’s Kelly Holmes and USA’s Abby Wambach. Expect to see all of this from 26 June 2011 for 3 action packed weeks. Germany will be keen to retain its title on home soil (they were champions in 2007) and this should add to the excitement. And for those who continue to raise a cynical eyebrow about the popularity of the women’s version of the game, consider this. As far back as 1999, when USA played China in the Pasadena Rose Bowl for the finals of the first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup ™ hosted by the US, (where football is nowhere as popular as in Europe) the stands were full -  a cool 90,000 spectators  came to witness history in the making!

I wish I was at Durban

Submitted by Fans On Stands on Fri, 12/31/2010 - 18:13

What a turnaround win by this Indian Cricket team in South Africa! After getting a pasting in the first test match, to turn it around immediately in the second test was a significant event yet not totally surprising if you are an Indian Cricket fan. In times gone by, our team would have been pasted yet again and no one would have been surprised. Yes, there would have been some moaning and chest beating among fans at home but then the next home series would come around and India would beat whoever it was they were playing and all would be well with the world again. 

This Indian team is different however and they take pride in doing well at venues where they are not supposed to be able to compete. Perth was an example and now Durban. This team has gone about proving pundits wrong and pleasing diehard fans with their performances. From being humiliated last time around at Durban to winning this match was an amazing turnaround. I wonder how long this will last. This truly is the golden era of Indian cricket. To have such an amazing array of world beating talent around at the same time is just providential and it won't last. As a fan I wish to be able to see this team win abroad and treasure the memories. England in the new year is yet another mouthwatering prospect. Especially with England being in such good form and not so subtly claiming that they are the real No. 1's and not India, it sure is going to be a nail biting contest. I just hope India has the same side unchanged to do battle.

I wish I can make it to England to see our team do battle. MSD and his merry bunch will surely give England a run for its money.  To see something like this live would be awesome. What an absolute screamer!

image courtesy ESPNCricinfo

The magic of watching sports live

Submitted by Fans On Stands on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 16:48

I am an unabashed sports fan and have been for most of my life. Earlier, I would be happy playing some outdoor sport or the other, with the passage of time, playing has lessened and focus has shifted to watching live sporting action. And my last job sure helped me fulfill some of those ambitions.

The sheer thrill of walking into Lords to watch the traditional season opener for the English season is something I cannot put into words. It has to be experienced. The envious comments among friends upon seeing a picture of that experience is itself reward if you ask me.
Another tick on my list of live sporting events to watch was ticked off when I made it to Reading on a cold November night and saw a woeful Reading team take on the mighty Gunners with Adebayor in full flow. Adebayor had not succumbed to greed and shifted to City then. The abiding memory for me was the biting cold in the stadium and immense respect for the thousands of fans who throng these games in almost subhuman conditions year after year and the players who have to ply their trade in these conditions.

After years of wanting to see Sachin score runs in an Indian win, I finally saw it in the India vs Australia test match in Bangalore. The final day was magical with the crowd going wild with every run being scored and also watching a debutant play the innings of his short career was truly magical. I must recommend the sports loving crowd in Bangalore for the wholehearted support they give the players. Barring some boors, the crowd in general is very sporting and passionate. That is an experience worth living.

Another longstanding ambition was to see Schumacher drive a F1 car in anger. That was fulfilled this year at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore earlier this year. Though he was woeful, it still meant a lot to be able to see him drive in the flesh.

Sport can teach you so many things. Working together being a prime  facet which is illustrated by every team sport on the planet. The EPL brings together people for all over Europe, Africa, Asia and the Unites States together playing in harmony. Most F1 teams are based in the UK yet the drivers are from all over continental Europe and other parts of the globe. 

When you know there are many more such experiences worth looking forward to, you know that life is good!

The passion for the beautiful game

Submitted by Fans On Stands on Wed, 12/22/2010 - 16:45

England is in the throes of one of the worst cold snaps since weather records began. The winter has come early and Arctic winds have frozen the country like never before. This weather has also adversely impacted the sports fixtures. Only 2 of the 9 scheduled weekend Premier League matches could be played. The Championship fared a bit better – 7 of the 10 matches scheduled for the weekend still went ahead. Of course some of the cancellations raised cynical eyebrows especially the Chelsea v Man United match. Some fans have claimed that the match was postponed to ensure that Chelsea play their biggest rivals only when they get over the worst run of form for over a decade. This is denied by official sources who claim that the match was postponed due to safety concerns for players, staff and fans.

In the midst of all these match postponements, one can only admire the passion of the folks who keep playing and watching football week after week especially with temperatures dropping to many degrees below zero in most parts of the country. Nowhere was this passion better demonstrated than in the nPower Championship match between Roy Keane’s Ipswich Town and Sven Goran Eriksson’s Leicester City. The match was shown live on UK television and I kid you not - it resembled an ice hockey game. The snow was coming down thick and fast and the ground was covered in a white blanket. Yet in the midst of all that, you could see the players going for it, making the tackles, scoring goals and defending as if their lives depended on it. In fact at one time the weather got so bad that the ref had to put a temporary stop to the match. In all my years of following football, this was the first time that a game was halted for weather reasons. So for 14 minutes the game was suspended. And just when you thought that the game would be abandoned, they were back again to conclude the match. In the end Ipswich won 3-0. More importantly it was a resounding victory for football.

For once I understood why these great footballers are paid so well. And for once my admiration for the players knew no bounds. The Ipswich and Leicester players showed that the world may stop but they will continue to play, come rain, come storm - literally. But you know who amazed me the most? After the match was over I checked the attendance in the Portman Road stadium. Hold your breath - there were 16000 fans who watched the game - braving the cold on a very wintry weekend evening to cheer the team they love. Hats off to the fans (and don’t forget to put them back on!)

Watch the clip here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/9283579.stm

What we have to say

Submitted by Fans On Stands on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 17:40

2010 is nearly drawing to a close. It has been an exciting year for us. We were indeed privileged to witness the excitement of world famous sporting events such as Formula 1 and the football world cup, along with our customers – you the fans! As we witness more of these ground breaking events which test human spirit, we feel we should share some of our experiences and let you share yours.

With this in mind, we have started our very own blog. Whenever we get time and have something to say, we hope to say it through our blog. We are not literary experts, so we are sure we will  not win prizes in journalism. But we hope you would read what we have to say and add to the discussion.

Have a great 2011