Asian football tournament: The AFC Cup

The AFC Cup is a cup competition run by the Asian Football Confederation, it is between domestic asian clubs controlled by The Asian Football Confederation. To qualify for the tournament the clubs have to come from the ‘developing nations’ category. Mature Nations are put in the AFC Champions League while emerging nations are put in the AFC President’s Cup. 32 teams take part in it just like The AFC Champions League. These 32 teams are put in groups of 8 and the top two teams from each group proceed to the knock out stage of the competition. After the knock-out stage The Quarter finals and Semi Finals will be played as two legged matches and the final as one single match.

Previous Winners of FA Cup

The Jordanian Club Al-Faisaly is the most successful club in the tournament having won the title a record 2 times. Current champions are Al-Ittihad the club from Egypt. The most successful nation in the tournament if Jordan as clubs from Jordan have won the tournament a record 3 times while Syria comes in second, where clubs from Syria have won it twice. Rico from Al-Muharraq has been the most prolific scorer in a single year scoring a remarkable 19 goals for his club Al-Muharraq. No other player has come close to this record number of goals in The AFC club in one single year.

2004 – Al- Jaish (Final Played over Two Legs)

2005 – Al – Faisaly (Final Played over two legs)

2006 – Al- Faisaly (Final Played over two legs)

2007 – Shabab Al- Ordon (Final Played over two legs)

2008 – Al- Muharraq (Final played over two legs)

2009 – Al- Kuwait (Final Played over One leg)

2010 – Al – Ittihad (Final Played over one leg)

Top ten attackers of Liverpool FC-All time

Sam Raybould played as a striker who is renowned for his career in Liverpool. Raybould became the highly successful goal scorer of Liverpool. Jack Parkinson played for Liverpool as a striker and he was a prolific goal scorer. Harry Chambers was also a notable player of the club and his shooting ability made the club to win League Championships of 1922 and 1923. Chambers also scored a hat-trick in a win against Everton at Anfield for 5-1 in October 1922. Gordon Hodgson was a striker who played for the club for about 377 games. Jack Balmer was the player of the club with intelligence and skill. Jack Balmer helped the team to League title after long 24 years. Balmer also created a league record of hat-trick of hat-tricks. Billy Liddell became the leading goal scorer of Liverpool in eight out of nine seasons in Liverpool. Roger Hunt helped the team to win the FA Cup for the first time in 1965.

Top ten attackers of Liverpool FC are:

1. Sam Raybould
2. Jack Parkinson
3. Harry Chambers
4. Gordon Hodgson
5. Jack Balmer
6. Billy Liddell
7. Roger Hunt
8. Ian St. John
9. Kevin Keegan
10. Kenny Dalglish

Best coaches of Chelsea-All time

Carlo Ancelotti joined Chelsea FC in the year May 2009. He led the club to win the historic FA Cup Double and Premier League in his first season as a coach. Ancelotti is one of the six men who won European Cup as a manager as well as a player. Guus Hiddink is counted as one of the best coaches of his time and was the best paid coach in the 2009. With Chelsea football club Guus Hiddink won the FA Cup of 2009. Gianluca Vialli led the team to win FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, Charity Shield and UEFA Super Cup. Ruud Gullit led the club to win the FA Cup in the year 1997 which is the first major cup of the club in 26 years. Chelsea football club secured more trophies under the coaching of Jose Mourinho.

Best coaches of Chelsea football club are:

1. Ruud Gullit
2. Gianluca Vialli
3. Jose Mourinho
4. Guus Hiddink
5. Carlo Ancelotti

Best captains of Chelsea-All time

John Terry is playing as a centre back and is the current captain of Chelsea football club. Terry also carried the captaincy of English national football team from 2006 August to February 2010. In 2005 and 2008, Terry was selected as the best defender in UEFA Champions League. Marcel Desailly played as centre-back till the end of the season 2003-04. Desailly participated in the FA Cup final, FA Charity Shield and UEFA Super Cup. Frank Lampard plays as a midfielder in Chelsea FC and is the vice-captain of the current Chelsea club team as well as of the England national team. He scored 16 league goals for the Chelsea football club in the season 2005-06. Dennis Wise played as a central midfielder and was known for his aggressive and competitive style. Peter Nicholas played for Chelsea club toward end of his career winning a Full Member Cup in the year 1990.

Best captains of Chelsea football club are:

1. John Terry
2. Frank Lampard
3. Dennis Wise
4. Marcel Desailly
5. Peter Nicholas

Top ten captains of Chelsea-All time

John Terry was the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in the year 2005 and for four consecutive seasons i.e. from 2005 to 2008, he was included in the FIFPro World XI. Terry became the first captain to win the FA Cup for 1-0 against Manchester United football club. John Terry has won seven cups for Chelsea. Lampard is one of the best players of football in the world. Dennis Wise had won many trophies for Chelsea football club and was the most successful captain of Chelsea until John Terry’s win in 2009 FA Cup Final. Wise captained the team of Chelsea FC to win FA Cup of 1997 and 2000, League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in the year 1998. Graham Roberts won the 1989 Second Division Cup for the club. Colin Pates captained Chelsea FC to win 1984 Second Division and 1986 Full Members Cup. Ron Harris was considered as the toughest defender of his generation and he lifted five trophies for Chelsea football club.

Top ten captains of Chelsea football club are:

1. John Terry
2. Frank Lampard
3. Dennis Wise
4. Peter Nicholas
5. Colin Pates
6. Graham Roberts
7. Ron Harris
8. Terry Venables
9. Roy Bentley
10. Jack Harrow

History of Chelsea Club

The Chelsea football club was founded in the year 1905. Chelsea FC had reputation of having big players in their but did not have a major success during the first fifty years. In 1952, Ted Drake became the coach of the club and begins to modernize the club by removing the name “Pensioner’s club”. Ted Drake added youth players and changed the training regime, a total makeover of the team and led the club to win the Champions League Championship of 1954-55. In the year 1965, the club had won the League cup. They have won the FA Cup in the year 1970 and became the winners of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1971. In 1990s, the Chelsea football club returned to amazing form which is the golden era of the club by reaching fifth position in Premier League. The most successful season in the history of the club is 2004-05. The Chelsea football club won the Premier League by scoring 98 points from 38 games. The club set the record of most wins, most clean sheets and fewest goals against them in 38 games.

Top ten coaches of Arsenal-All time

Thomas Mitchell was the first professional coach of Arsenal. Herbert Chapman made Arsenal to be the dominant team of 1930s by winning the FA Cup and two First Division titles. Joe Shaw became the caretaker manager of the club after the death of Herbert Chapman and Shaw’s team won the League title of 1933-34 which is the third title of the club in its history. George Allison is second longest serving coach of Arsenal and under the training of Allison, the club won the third successive League Championship in the year 1934-35. Allison also led the club to win the 1935-36 FA Cup and 1937-38 League Championship. Tom Whittaker took over as the manager of the club after the retirement of Allison. Tom Whittaker led the club to win the League in 1947-48 and 1952-53. Under the coaching of Tom Whittaker, the club also won the 1949-50 FA Cup. Arsene Wenger is the longest serving coach and best coach in the history of the Arsenal club.

Top ten coaches of Arsenal are:

1. Arsene Wenger
2. George Graham
3. Herbert Chapman
4. George Alison
5. Tom Whittaker
6. Bertie Mee
7. Joe Shaw
8. Thomas Mitchell
9. George Elcoat
10. Don Howe

Top ten defenders of Arsenal-All time

Lee Dixon was playing as Arsenal defender for late 1980s to 2002. Lee Dixon was the captain of England for 22 times. Lee played more than 600 matches for Arsenal. Tom Parker was the captain of Arsenal and became the first captain to win the FA Cup for Arsenal. Herbie Roberts had a long and successful career with Arsenal and he made more than 30 appearances for every season till 1936-37. Eddie Hapgood was the captain of both England national team and Arsenal. Eddie had the reputation of being an unruffled and elegant defender. Jimmy Sharp played 116 games and scored five goals for Arsenal. Joe Shaw played 326 matches for the club but never scored a goal. Alex Graham played 179 times for Arsenal and scored 20 goals. Percy Sands spent his seventeen years of career in Arsenal that made him one of the enduring players of the club.

Top ten defenders of Arsenal are:

1. Percy Sands
2. Jimmy Sharp
3. Joe Shaw
4. Alex Graham
5. Lee Dixon
6. Tom Parker
7. Herbie Roberts
8. Eddie Hapgood
9. Leslie Compton
10. George Male

History of Arsenal Club

Arsenal was founded in the year 1886 and it became the first club to join the Football League from south of England in the year 1893. The club was started by workers of Dial Square at Royal Arsenal and named as Royal Arsenal. In the year 1891 the club was again renamed as Woolwich Arsenal after becoming a professional team. Even though they had won two league titles in1923-24 and 1924-25, the first golden era of the club started after Herbert Chapman was appointed as the manager in the year 1925. Under the guidance of Chapman, the club dominated the English football during 1930s by winning two FA Cup trophies and five League Championship titles. After a low profile period during post war years, they came back in 1970-71 with a win in the FA Cup Double and League title. In 1990s and 2000s, the club recorded a series of winning that includes two League titles, two FA Cup Doubles and a Cup Double. The club became the first London club to play in the finals of UEFA Champions League.

Top 3 Milestones in English FCs’ History

English football clubs, or shortly known as FCs (the abbreviation is commonly used after their names), date all the way back to the 19th century when football was initially revived and reintroduced by the British, probably after having discovered the traces of the game from the past. In the past two centuries or so, football clubs have become a way of life in England and there have been many milestones to date, three of which would include:

• the founding of Sheffield FC,
• the drawing up of the Cambridge Rules, and
• The influence over World Cup and FIFA.

There are possibly many other important milestones in the history of English FCs, such as the FA cup establishment, the first victories, the pre-war and post-war domination by predominant FCs and others as well. Sheffield FC is the oldest football club in England, which also inspired the founding of many other FCs around the country. The drawing up of the Cambridge Rules was also important in the history, as it was only implemented into practice by the very first and few FCs initially; something that obviously would not have spread thus far without the latter group. It’s worth noting that the oldest football clubs in the world also collectively pushed for the football World Cup after the WWI years.

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