(I cringed at the headline too.) There are a certain number of things profession athletes can count on: money, a certain degree of fame, lots of free clothes, and not having to pony up for commutes on "official business". That is, unless you play for Sheffield Wednesday. Financial times are tough, and it's not exclusive to the [. Click to continue reading...

Caitlin Munoz and Heather Garriock are playing in a seven-a-side tournament in Dubai, Lisa De Vanna and Kate Gill are in Sweden but here is the rest of the Matildas train on squad.

BALOMENOSVictoria
WIRKUSEmma
DUMONTCasey (U18)
STEWARTKate
MCSHEAKate
HARCHLana
REUTERKarla
POLKIINGHORNEClare
SPENCEBrooke
COLTHORPLauren
TRISTRAMJenna
BUTTTameka (U18)
BEAUMONTEllen
CARROLLKim
KELLOND-KNIGHTElise (U18)
WILLIAMSLydia
CHAPMANAmy
BARBIERIMelissa
DAYStacey
SALISBURYCheryl
LOGUEAlison
GLOHELindsay
PETERSJoanne
NEILSONAmber
McCALLUMCollette
HARTLEYLisa
KHAMISLeena
UZNLARServet
ROLLASONRenee
SIMONKyah
WALSHSarah
PERRYEllyse (U18)
SYKESAshleigh
SYKESNicole Click to continue reading...

So Napoli ‘fans' are banned from away trips until 2009/10 after they smashed up a train and assaulted Italian railroad staff en route to their first road game of the season at Roma. While Italian police believe the violence is being orchestrated by Italy's mafiosi, FIGC President Giancarlo Abete spoke of the need to "eradicate the groups of delinquents who are polluting the world of football. Click to continue reading...

Suffice it to say, the opening week of the Serie A season hasn't gone so well for Napoli fans. Yes, their team fought hard for their draw with Roma in the derby, but because of a group of, quite frankly, idiots, that's the last away game they'll be able to attend all year long. One [...] Click to continue reading...

Draws were the main item on offer in Italy as Fiorentina and Juve finished 1-1, Inter and Sampdoria were 1-1 and Roma and Napoli finished 1-1. Elsewhere Bologna stunned Milan at the San Siro.


Reports

Napoli fans take over train and clash with police Click to continue reading...

Apparently they were fighting cops, railway workers and anyone they wanted on some train to Rome.

All the passengers had to take alternate routes.

'It is disgusting that a group of thugs could be allowed to do this to us,' one woman who had to change her travel plans told an Italian television station.

Click to continue reading...

http://www.venezuelaesfutbol.com/noticia.php?id_noticia=2339
Venezuelan international and Red Bulls midfielder Jorge Rojas told venezuelaesfutbol.com that he may play or at worst train with his former club Caracas FC during the MLS off-season (november through february), in order to maintain his form. Click to continue reading...

Very tired tonight. Three and a half hours on the train from Qinhuangdao to Tianjin, a half-hour... Click to continue reading...

With police refusing to allow Persija to use Bung Karno it now looks like the ISL have fixed upon Jatidiri Stadium in Semarang to host Persija v PSMS some time next week.

Persija fans have yet to see their team at this season but they are planning to travel Palembang next weekend to see them take on Sriwijaya. Click to continue reading...

Downers Grove: A guy in an AC Milan shirt, walking out of a coffee shop. Caught a glimpse of him from the train. Ogilvie Station: "Rooney" on the back of a white England shirt. Evanston: A guy riding toward us on a bike, wearing a red Spain shirt. Union Station: I happened to [...] Click to continue reading...

As my father might say, bloody Yanks. What a train wreck. My 12 year old daughter could have done a better job interviewing the ex-Norwich (Norfolk??) frontman and new San Jose Earthquake-er than whatshisface here. And check out the rolling newsflash's at the bottom of the screen...'Antioch - Man's bites off another's eyebrows'. Click to continue reading...

Despite later denying he made such comments, Luiz Filipe Scolari, who then had been in talks with Chelsea, advised Cristiano Ronaldo that a move to Real Madrid would be in the player's best interest. "It's a great opportunity and, as Scolari says, that train passes by only once and we have to take advantage of it," [. Click to continue reading...

The Destiny Train is on it's way! Boro kicked off their pre-season campaign in fine style after beating League 2 side Gillingham at Priestfield. The game had an added spice as 6 ex Boro players took to the field against their former employers. It was also Stimson's first game against Boro since walking out on the club [. Click to continue reading...

Former Houston Dynamo and Zimbabwe international striker Joseph Ngwenya is on a three week trial with Bayern Munich, which seems to prove a rumor that circulated back in January when Ngwenya moved to Austrian side Kärnten. The rumor had Jurgen Klinsmann 'hiding' Ngwenya in Austria until he took over as manager of Bayern. Click to continue reading...

Ruud! Ruud was just interviewed on ESPN about the Dutch team via a remote feed. Galaxy players train in the background. It's not a profound interview - he gets asked about his look back in the day and ruud jokingly calls it "porn star".
He also talks about the Galaxy this season, mentions difficulties of travel, altitude, heat and playing on turf. Click to continue reading...

The Guardian's Barney Ronay wrote an excellent article this week about ticket scalpers at Euro 2008. While in Zurich, I didn't see one scalper. But the minute I walked off the train in Bern on the day of the Holland against Italy match, there were scalpers everywhere. That day, I probably saw about 20-30 different scalpers. Click to continue reading...

In the jet stream of the recent furore surrounding the proposed thirty-ninth game, the English Premier League may well have set in motion a train of events more harmful to the game than any money can inflict. The same Board meeting that proposed the ill-conceived additional game to be added to the domestic season, it was [. Click to continue reading...

Liverpool players stretch in front of the Kop during a training session held at Anfield on 18 February, 2008, ahead of tomorrow's crucial Champions League first-leg against Inter. Photo Alex Livesey/Getty Images... Click to continue reading...