Stuff to read while you decide which is the better dive...... 5 Reasons Why...The Prem Must Accept Internet Streaming (EPL Offside) Unprofessional Foul needs your help in deciding how badly to kick someone's arse. (Unprofessional Foul) Gareth Ainsworth is the homeless man's Slaven Bilic. (The Spoiler) Extra referees may be on the horizon. Click to continue reading...

Stoke's Liam Lawrence could miss next weekend's game against Portsmouth with an ankle injury - after falling over his own dog (not pictured). A stupid way to injure yourself no doubt, but not quite brainless enough to make our top 10 Dumbest Football Injuries list: In no particular order... 1. Spanish goalkeeper Santiago Canizares missed out on [. Click to continue reading...

When a Brazilian girl on the streets of New York starts to chant the carnival song Viva Colonia... ..and when a bunch of kids in South Africa join in... ...and when 50000 fans in Cologne's Rhein Energie Stadion do the same... ...then this global Cologne lovefest can only be explained with this: A rare big win against a big [. Click to continue reading...

You never quite know how a returning hero will be greeted in football. I remember when Ian Wright was sold from Palace to Arsenal he got a right earful from the fans. He replied by
scoring the goals that got The Eagles relegated and celebrated as though he'd won the World Cup.

Other players have a much better relationship with supporters of their old clubs. Click to continue reading...

Soccer fans are, in general, a fickle breed. One minute they can be singing the name of their favorite player as if they were praising the Almighty, the next they can be spewing venom at the same player for an act of treachery. The most punishable of acts is, of course, deserting the cause to join another team. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin has agreed a one-year loan deal with German side Hertha Berlin, the Anfield club have announced.

The Ukraine international signed for Liverpool on a Bosman free transfer last summer and scored six goals in 27 appearances.

However, the impact of Fernando Torres restricted his first-team opportunities and Robbie Keane's arrival this summer forced him further down the pecking order, prompting the forward to move back to the Bundesliga, where he previously played for Bayer Leverkusen, Cologne, Mainz and Borussia Monchengladbach. Click to continue reading...

In the short two-years he's been in Germany, Matt Hermann has become a Bundesliga junkie, and he's happy to have found a job where he can get paid to watch it. On those "working" weekends you'll hear him hosting Deutsche Welle Radio's Sports Report; other weekends you'll find him drinking at various taverns in Cologne or Bonn, because he's too cheap to spring for satellite TV at home. Click to continue reading...

And, also, considering these people are Cologne fans. Because, like I said two weeks ago, they are stark raving mad.



The Cologne Paradox Part II Click to continue reading...

Cologne defender/epic journeyman Pierre Wome is about to be in some really big trouble. At the end of this weekend's game against Wolfsburg, Pierre threw what looks to have been a quite intentional elbow at Ashkan Dejagah (4:08 mark above) that is now under investigation by those who take care of these matters in the [. Click to continue reading...

Stuff to read while you portray yourself as an adult video inspector..... Football questions you never knew you needed answered. (Metro) How to survive the relegation fight. (Cagliari Offside) Lots of men from New Zealand auditioning for a Michael Jackson Thriller remake. (Champions League Blog) The insanity of Cologne's fans. Click to continue reading...

There has been a lot of talk about one of the newly-promoted teams that will grace the season soon to kick off, Hoffenheim. Maybe too much talk. (Wink, wink.) So let's talk about one of the other two. Because what has happened in the past ten years or so in Cologne is really an amazing success story. Click to continue reading...

There's some talk around the interwebs about US national teamer Cory Gibbs being a target of the LA Galaxy, who now hold the top spot on the allocation list. That's cool and all except he wants to play for that other team that plays at the HDC.

If true that really sucks for LA because they could really use that back line help. Click to continue reading...

TORONTO, July 24, 2008 – Below is a list of soccer matches that will air live or on tape delay on GolTV from July 26 – August 1, 2008. Among this week's highlights include: LIVE coverage of a pre-season friendly match between Cologne and defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Saturday, July 26 at 12:00 p. Click to continue reading...

"Oh where, oh where, has Gooooch gone. Oh where, oh where can he be?"

There have been rumors going around that Onyewu could be heading to Fulham, Cologne, or even somewhere in France. But Standard Liege can't find him. They've been trying to get in contact with him since the 22nd of June but he's no where to be found. Click to continue reading...

Oguchi Onyewu, US central defender is a transfer target for Cologne.  Cologne, a Bundesliga 1 outfit is looking for a big strong central defender and Onyewu looks to be their primary target.  Coach Christoph Daum has said that he is facing competition from a team in England, rumored to be Fulham.  It is also reported [. Click to continue reading...

Lukas Podolski has dropped hints that he might want out of Bayern Munich - and that could gain the attention of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City. The 23-year-old striker has also been linked with a move back to Cologne FC... Click to continue reading...

The Germany vs Turkey game was one of the best games of the tournament. Back and forth action, great goals, multiple comebacks, and despite the losing effort a tremendously brave performance from the Turkish team, many of whom would not be in the starting XI except for injuries. Full credit to the Germans though as they showed their talent and class by maintaining their composure and getting the victory. Click to continue reading...

The Germany vs Turkey game was one of the best games of the tournament. Back and forth action, great goals, multiple comebacks, and despite the losing effort a tremendously brave performance from the Turkish team, many of whom would not be in the starting XI except for injuries. Full credit to the Germans though as they showed their talent and class by maintaining their composure and getting the victory. Click to continue reading...

Schalke 04 1-2 Borussia Dortmund 14:05.05


Beers save the day on a boring boat trip around the Rhine.

The away end at the Arena Auf Schalke.

The Dortmund fans in full flow.

Another dull pre-match.

Post match team photo.

The home fans do their best. Click to continue reading...

In the latest in this week's photo series on the 2006 World Cup, is this a scene from the old days of English hooliganism abroad, or an aberration? This fan was arrested before England's match against Sweden in Cologne (remember Joe Cole's screamer in the 2-2 draw?). 22 England fans were [...] Click to continue reading...