The Sports Archives – The Time Of Year College Football Springs Into Action!

Posted on June 5, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Spring opening

Spring, the season which brightens the darkness of winter, gives life to hardcore college football fans who are suffering withdrawal symptoms from their passionate addiction. With the long agitating wait ended, the quarterback recruitment completed, and teams intensely drilled for battle, dilemmas and speculations are now a shadowing memory. What’s the gift deeply desired or craved? Perhaps, over 45 broadcasted contests on over 10 televised channels, which occurred during the March & April period this year. Does this information demonstrate the critical time in the college football calendar? What achievements or accolades are decided during this phase? Do the clashes in the preliminary stages lack the true tension, grit or determination of a close season, nail-biting decider?

Public support

Growing crowds continue to flock in hordes year-by-year to witness college football, statistically average attendances rose significantly since 1998, increasing by more than 32 percent. In 2011, attendances soared to create a new record with almost 4.7 million spectators filling the stadiums at each level of NCAA. These facts signify the expanding rates of support, reassuring followers that the game isn’t suffering, in fact quite the contrary; it sustains a healthy status in the public eye.

Critical times & defining moments

Switching to the live action, what’s the critical period to any sports season, the introduction or the finale? Take NFL for instance, how many viewers does the Super Bowl receive in comparison to the standard seasonal fixtures? Not only does the Super Bowl acquire global attention, it’s celebrated in a style to portray the defining moment in the 17-game campaign. 111.3 million witnessed Super Bowl XLVI staged in Indianapolis on NBC, the most watched television show in United States history. Does this suggest that interest levels rocket as the prize approaches?

Finances & ticket prices

The accumulation of any audience, in any environment, can depend on financial strategies, the rise and fall of ticket prices, discounts & promotions, which influence the less “die hard” and attract the more widespread number to the showcased event. In current economic disability, college football didn’t sympathize with the people’s constraints, instead single-match tickets ascended to a 30% increase in the last 3 years to an average of $65.

Hype & buzz

College FootballCan the hype of college football be determined by our roots or the state we originate? In the Miami Hurricanes record season in 2009 (9-4) they averaged 47,551 in a maximum capacity of 76,500, in addition they charge $19 for entry, including the closely fought, highly demanded tussle with Florida State in the “erstwhile epic.” Meanwhile, the big 12 conference maintains its helm as the most expensive section for ticket charges, the “red river shootout” involving Texas confronting Dallas requests a steep cost of $110. In 2010-2011, Texas averaged the fifth highest attendance, 100,654. This brings forth the question: What factors determine the college football buzz in a state region?

Passions & desires

Alabama, the 26th largest populated state in the United States, holds a deep-rooted desire & sheer passion for college football, with no exceptions to the date on the calendar. A clash following the season –opener in 2011 with LSU was one of the highest sold of the season, during game-week tickets could only be found at a mammoth $5,000. Spring attendances this year continued to impress at Alabama, averaging 78,526 spectators in the first three weeks. Would it be a fair assertion to suggest specific states contain the adrenaline, the drug for college football but in other states they require an injection of success or adversity?

Current health

Focusing on the current stability of the game, college football impressively averages almost 9 times the amount of college basketball support with 46,632 attending during 2010 in comparison to 5,237. No matter what date or time, college football progressively prevails as an integral event for the public. Whether it’s the curiosities & joys at the start to the jubilation & heart aches at the finish line, is timing essential? Through troubling declines & richly successful moments, teams require consistent & continual loyalty for the duration.

This is a contributed article written by sport enthusiast Tom Andrew McGowan. He is writing for AthlonSports college football section, your online resource on everything college football: college football recruiting rankings and news.

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The Sports Archives – A Career in Sports Engineering

Posted on June 4, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Oscar PistoriousIf you have a passion for both sports and science, a career in sports engineering could be perfect for you. These days, the sports industry is big business. Sports suppliers and athletes alike want to out-perform their competitors. Sport engineers can fill this need, as they spend years researching the most innovative sports technology. Whether a particular brand of golf ball needs to travel further in the air, or if a marathon runner needs better-designed shoes to minimize injury, a sports engineer has the answer. Just because sports engineers don’t build bridges or highways, doesn’t mean that their field is any less important. According to ScienceMag.org, sports engineering is science in action. Here are some reasons why it’s such a useful career choice.

It prevents injuries

A major part of sports engineering is to improve the safety of athletes and to minimize their injuries. This can range from making improvements to equipment and products to improving playing surfaces. According to ScienceMag.org, playing surfaces in particular are a big cause of injuries and sports engineers spend years developing the best materials for optimal traction, friction, durability and safety.

Improve performance

This is where the money lies! According to ScienceMag.org, sports engineers spend a great deal of time figuring out how to improve products and equipment. Some sports engineers are paid hefty sums by sporting goods companies to make a particular product the best on the market. For example, according to ScienceMag.org, sports engineers have discovered that a baseball bat’s performance will be determined by the level of sound frequency it emits when hit. A lower frequency means a greater chance of a home run! Various tweaks and changes can then be made to the design and materials of the bat, resulting in a bat that blows the competition out of the water.

Disabled athletes

A rewarding aspect of sports engineering is creating innovative products that allow disabled athletes to perform at the same level as able-bodied ones. An example of this is Oscar Pistorious, the South African record-breaking athlete who has no legs, but can compete against his able-bodied contemporaries. Thanks to sports engineers, he is able to run at lightening speed, using carbon-fibre blades (TheIndependent.co.uk). These blades have earned him the nickname “The Blade runner”, as well as some controversy. He runs so fast that his competitors feel he has an unfair advantage!

Sports engineering can be a highly useful and rewarding career, as you can help athletes improve their performance, decrease their injuries and even make amputees run! It goes without saying that a love for sport is a must, as your whole career will be centered on it. Sports engineering can even be studied online and numerous career opportunities are available, most focusing on development, innovation, and research. Enroll in a sports engineering program today, and see science in action.

Ang Lloyd writes on behalf of Now Learning, an online education portal that promotes an assortment of study opportunities Down Under, including small business management and engineering courses in Australia.

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The Sports Archives – Is Kurt Angle’s Olympic Desire Genuine or a Publicity Stunt?

Posted on June 2, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Kurt Angle won Olympic gold in 1996. Since winning that medal, he has stated that he wanted to go back to amateur competition or to compete in Mixed Martial Arts. For one reason or another, it never happens.

Kurt Angle

Angle claimed that he would try out for the 2004 Olympic Games, but he never did. Now (yet again) he’s talking about trying out for the 2012 Olympics. At 43 years old, and after sustaining a litany of debilitating injuries, including spinal trauma, the overwhelming perspective is that Angle is just posturing for publicity’s sake. In a recent poll for PWI, a vocal 15 percent believe that Angle genuinely wants to return to Olympic competition, even if he’s a long shot to make the team. Many believe that Angle has fought against the odds his entire career. After all, if George Foreman could return to boxing at 45 years old, who’s to say that Angle can’t make another Olympic run?

On the flip side of the coin, Angle has also been known to desperately seek media attention. Since arriving on the scene at TNA Wrestling, Angle has had numerous run-ins with the law including several DUI/DWI arrests as well as some responses for domestic disturbances with an ex-girlfriend. There have also been several public outbursts via his social media Twitter account, which he later claimed was hacked.

Could it be that Angle’s desire to return to a legitimate competitive stage is yet another attempt to get into the good graces of the media and his fans? Has TNA Wrestling’s lack of growth caused concern for the aging performer whose body is about to tap out after years of enduring career threatening injuries?

Fans hope that this isn’t a desperate ploy to grab publicity for his name – but what else is left for him to do in the twilight of his career to maintain relevant? The last thing fans want is for Angle to wear out his welcome and embarrass himself much like Ric Flair has been doing for the last 10 years. Angle is arguably the best pound for pound wrestler in the world, and for him to diminish his legacy for the sake of marking out for himself would be a shame and a painful reminder that there is no old timers day in a sport that chews up its athletes or pushes them to a breaking point.

The more he pushes himself, the more fans will beg him to walk away gracefully. Unfortunately, in this business it is one of the most difficult things to do.

The Wrestling Jackal has been covering the pro wrestling business for over two decades. He occasionally contributes to Online Wrestling Videos.

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The Sports Archives – Is Pro Wrestling Better or Worse Than It Was Five years Ago?

Posted on June 1, 2012 by thesportsarchives

I’m an old school purist. Well, not that old school, but I do prefer the pro wrestling product of the 80’s when the business protected the magic that made it so engaging. The first Wrestlemania took place in 1985, yet that was 29 years ago and kayfabe has been dead for well over a decade and a half. So in this new era of “sports entertainment”, an elder statesman such as myself is curious to know whether or not the business has gained in popularity or regressed in interest ever since the curtain was pulled and the almighty Oz was exposed.

Mania 29In 2007, John Cena dominated the WWE, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle were tearing down houses for TNA and Pro Wrestling Illustrated readers named Hornswoggle the Rookie of The Year. It was definitely a mixed bag as far as the overall quality of wrestling went.

Yet there still more big names on the wrestling scene five years ago. Shawn Michaels, Batista, and Edge were still active. Now HBK and the Rated R Superstar have called it a career, while Batista walked away from the business in disgust to pursue Hollywood and MMA.

TNA on the other hand has been suffering since the addition of legendary icon Hulk Hogan to the roster. While the company continues to employ some of the brightest stars on the indy circuit, they have been over shadowed by former WWE castaways and returning old timers who have blocked the spotlight of success on their nationally televised program. During TNA’s inception, the foundation of the company was built with a focus on the stars of tomorrow, yet in 2012 they have been hindered by the stars of yesterday…and yesterday was at least 10 years ago as it follows the fatal footsteps of the plagued WCW.

However, 2007 was also the year that the wrestling world was rocked with by the Chris Benoit murder/suicide that put the industry on a high-profile watch and forced it to endure media scrutiny eventually leading to a lesser PG rated product.

Now in 2012, both the WWE and TNA have been able to finally develop some new stars which many believe have created a sense of excitement for both companies. The Rock and CM Punk have generated considerable buzz, and created potential dream match scenarios that didn’t exist five years ago. In a recent PWI poll, 65% of wrestling fans who were asked this very question voted that the overall product and industry is better than it was in 2007. I still have trouble swallowing that pill, yet I haven’t cast my official vote. What is yours?

The Wrestling Jackal has been writing about and covering the pro wrestling industry for over two decades, and has a small hobby site where he shares classic wrestling videos that takes him back to a time when the industry was at its finest. Feel free to give it a visit and relive some of your favorite pro wrestling memories.

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The Sports Archives – Astro Turf versus Normal Grass for Training in Sports

Posted on May 31, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Astro Turf was first adopted for use in sport by baseball. Its inaugural usage in the Houston Astrodome paved the way for other teams and other sports to cover their own pitches with it, and in fact coined the name as well. Originally called Chem Turf, the name was swiftly changed due to popular usage of the term Astro Turf.

Houston AstrodomeIn fact, Astro Turf itself has almost become obsolete in its original form, but the colloquialism still stands as the most popular name for all forms of artificial grass.

Why Use Astro Turf?

There were many initial advantages for the use of artificial turf in sports. It is relatively low maintenance, extremely hard-wearing and can be laid almost anywhere without sunlight and irrigation considerations. The durability makes it ideal for training, where real grass pitches could become churned up and unsuitable for use by game time. It is obviously better for indoor arenas, and resists the heavy usage likely to occur in most sports.

Drawbacks

SoccerYet some disadvantages became apparent fairly quickly – the artificial surfaces had much less give than grass fields, and players often found themselves with far more serious injuries than they may otherwise have incurred. This was especially true in sports such as soccer, where players were likely to be sliding on the ground, and kits did not cover all the skin.

New Generation

However, the new generation of synthetic grass, Field Turf, uses polyethylene fibers, which cushion a fall in much the same way as real grass does. Astro Turf and its new generation brothers make play in ball games much faster, and they give a far truer bounce as well.

The advantages of this are obvious, as players can throw the ball longer distanceSoccer Fields by utilizing a bounce, safe in the knowledge that the ball will not hit a divot and veer off to the left or right. Also, the lines for the field of play are sewn into the original design, so there is no risk of them fading and making it harder to call out.

The main benefit of training on Astro Turf or Field Turf is that it doesn’t mess up the surface of the pitch. Often, teams are reluctant to practice on their match pitches, as in some weatheRainrs it can then make the surface unplayable for days afterwards. Training on synthetic grass has no effect on the playability of the surface, so teams can go all out in practice as well as during a match.

This post was written on behalf of Hi-TechTurf.co.uk

Image attribution 1|2|3|4

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The Sports Archives – Olympic Medals

Posted on May 30, 2012 by thesportsarchives

With the London Summer Olympics just around the corner it’s natural to begin thinking about some of the traditions and rituals associated with the event. Just recently the Olympic Flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the games. Using the power of the Sun and a parabolic mirror the flame was lit and then was passed onto the Olympic Torch which will now make its way to London via numerous torch bearers in time for the opening ceremony on the 27th of July.

2000 Olympic First Medals

Ancient Medals

At the original Olympic Games, long before their modern-day revival, the prize awarded to the top performing athlete was far from a gold medal. In fact the prize had no monetary value but was purely symbolic. An Olive branch was given to only the winning Olympian, the branch was woven into wreath crown. The symbolic nature of this prize stems from the fact that the Olive branch was taken from a sacred tree located in Olympia near the temple of Zeus. Being given a wreath with direct association to your god must have been quite an honor. To this day Olympians compete not only to be the best, and for their countries, but also for the honor of competing at the games regardless of where they place.

Modern Games

The modern Olympics really took shape with the formation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894 and the first games were soon scheduled in for 1896 in Athens. Athens had hosted a number of Olympic events in the years running up to 1896 but these were for Greek and Ottoman Empire athletes. They did however spark the creation of the IOC by Baron Pierre de Coubertin which led to the modern international games.

Modern Medals

The last time that an entirely gold medal was awarded to a winning athlete was way back in 1912 in Sweden. Since this time the gold medal has actually consisted of a silver medal covered in a layer of gold. There are strict guidelines set out by the IOC regarding the construction and presentation of the medals. This is a result of the host nation having the responsibility of manufacturing the medals to be used at the respective games, a tradition that started in 1900 when the games were hosted in Paris and the medal was produced by the Paris mint.

As mentioned, the gold medal is not entirely gold, at the same time it’s hardly gold costume jewellery either. The gold medal must be constructed of 550 grams of high-grade silver and be coated with pure gold. So the medal is still packed full of precious metals, and as such has an intrinsic monetary value. The monetary value of a medal is obviously not the motivation for winning one for an athlete. Of course there would be far easier ways to earn that kind of money than winning an Olympic event!

The silver medal, awarded for 2nd place, is exactly the same in build as the gold medal except of course that it doesn’t have the pure gold outer layer. As a result the monetary value of a silver medal is roughly half that of a gold medal. It was not until 1904 that the modern hierarchy of gold, silver, and bronze came into use. Before this time the winner would actually receive a silver medal and an olive branch and the runner-up a bronze medal and a laurel branch.

London 2012 Olympic Medals

2012 London Olympics LogoThe medals for the upcoming London Summer Olympic games are set to be the largest medals awarded at an Olympic games to date. The design was completed by artist David Watkins and is being produced by the Royal Mint, now located in South Wales. The front depicts the god Nike flying into the Panathenaic stadium in Greece with the Acropolis and Parthenon in the background. This is a generic design started in 2004 when the games returned to Athens. The reverse of the London medal comprises of geometric lines, a ribbon flowing in the shape of the Thames, and the London 2012 logo.

Citations:

If a real Olympic Medal is just out of reach this time around, then grab some gold costume jewellery, perfect for Olympic celebrations at home.

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The Sports Archives – Top 5 Mount Everest Moments

Posted on May 29, 2012 by thesportsarchives


cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Rupert Taylor-Price

Mount Everest boasts events which have inspired awe the world over spanning more than 150 years. Only a handful of summits over six of those 15 decades have been successful. Here are the top five most memorable Everest moments.

1850s: The Discovery and Naming of the Mountain

Although officially announced and named in 1856, the mountain had been discovered during the Trigonometric Survey of India in the 1850s. Radhanath Sickdhar, an Indian mathematician, determined its height to be 29,002 feet (now amended to 29,029 feet). It was named for the Surveyor General of India, Colonel Sir George Everest.

1953: The Beekeeper and the Sherpa

The Beekeeper is Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand; his Sherpa for the amazing journey, Tensing Norgay. These two brave men were the first to reach the summit of Everest. They accomplished this amazing feat on May 29, 1953. A little known fact is that two other men dared the climb two days earlier, and missed reaching the summit by a mere 300 feet. Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans—two British climbers in Hillary’s party—were simply too low on Oxygen to make it. They did, however, break the trail and stash spare O2 as they went. This made it possible for the famous Beekeeper and Sherpa team to reach the summit.


cc licensed ( BY SD ) flickr photo shared by Kappa Wayfarer

1963: Reaching the Summit via the West Ridge

America funded a large south-side expedition to reach the summit in 1963. A smaller team split from the group and headed to the West Ridge of Everest, a discouragingly steep and serrated knife-like edge. Many thought the West Ridge was simply impossible to climb with its hurricane-force winds and precariously fragile shale. Two American men, Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld, braved the conditions and, after experiencing a few nearly-lethal incidents, scrambled over the summit. They descended down the Southeast side.

1970/2000: Skiing Down the Mountain

In 1970, Yuichiro Miura, a Japanese alpine racer, was able to ski part of Everest. He started at 27,000 feet (2,029 feet below the summit) equipped with a parachute. It wasn’t until 30 years later—October 7, 2000—when a Slovenian man named Davorin “Davo” Karnicar, 38, would ski Everest from the summit. His slide-slipping and schussing journey lasted five hours ending at Base Camp on the south side.

2003: Everest Gets an ER at Base Camp

Many of the memorable moments of Everest happened at the top. This particular one is an accomplishment much closer to sea level; Base Camp. A Bozeman, Montana volunteer, Luanne Freer, founded the first clinic on Everest. Not only does the ER at Base Camp provide emergency medical care and save lives, but it also offers a place where people can get medical assistance, socialize, or enjoy a nice mug of hot tea.

This article was written by JustRopes.com the online leader in climbing rope.

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The Sports Archives – 5 Things You May Not Know About Masters Champion Bubba Watson

Posted on May 28, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Bubba WatsonSince winning the Masters back in April at Augusta, Bubba Watson has seen interest in him throughout the world grow significantly. Since donning the famous Green Jacket, a lot of attention has been focused on him, and no wonder. As the World Ranked no. 4, being one of the longest hitters in the professional game and possessing a swashbuckling style which makes him stand out from the crowd, Watson is one of the most interesting players in the world. Here are five interesting things about the Masters champion you may not know:

    • Last year, Bubba spent a cool $500,000 on a designer watch, and even wore it during last year’s Accenture Match Play tournament. Watson, despite his image as a ‘good ole boy’ from the southern US, is fond of making a few outlandish purchases, but with career earnings to date of just over $16m or £10m excluding lucrative sponsorship, he can easily afford them.
    • Speaking of splashing the cash, Bubba owns a replica of the General Lee, the car that featured in TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. He bought it just before his Masters success for $110,000 at a charity auction. A lot was made of this during the tournament in Georgia, and he described his prized purchase as his dream car.
    • While serving his apprenticeship in the game, Bubba and his friend and fellow PGA professional Boo Weekley practiced by trying to hit drives over Weekley’s parents’ house. This partly helps to explain why he’s seen as one of longest drivers to have ever picked up a club.
    • Bubba has many celebrity friends, including somewhat bizarrely, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. Even before his Masters success, Watson was recognized as a big star because of his high status in the game, and has spoken at length about his friendship with the polarizing singer.
    • At the Alstom French Open in 2011, Watson infuriated locals, players and tournament organizers for a number of reasons. When interviewed following his first round, he struggled to name any local attractions, and was castigated for refusing to share a car with fellow players to take him to the course. Meanwhile, he was scathing of the support at the tournament, largely because he saw them as being too quiet compared to more raucous crowds at PGA events.

More information about Bubba Watson  can be found here: http://www.yourgolftravel.com/19th-hole/2012/04/10/bubba-watson-10-things-you-may-not-about-bubba/

This list was compiled by golfing holiday provider www.yourgolftravel.com, who offer breaks in golfing destinations throughout the world.

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The Sports Archives – Can Roy Hodgson win the Euros with England?

Posted on May 26, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Roy HodgsonNew England manager Roy Hodgson has announced his 23 man England squad on Wednesday 16th May. The squad will represent the first major test of Hodgson’s new position, and follows already significant media scrutiny since the West Bromwich Albion manager took over the role last month. Aside from The Sun’s front page attacks on Hodgson’s diction, there has been little enthusiasm for an experienced manager who seems to have accepted something of a poisoned chalice from his predecessor Fabio Capello as he goes into Euro 2012.

While Hodgson has a long-term contract that will make qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil a priority, the pressure remains on Hodgson to pull together a side for next month’s tournament in the Ukraine and Poland. Some of Hodgson’s key problems for taking on the tournament include a lack of time, an unsettled squad, and competition.

Time

England National Football TeamHodgson now has less than a month to meet up with his squad for a training camp in Spain, before playing warm-up games against Norway and Belgium on May 26th and June 2nd, before a first game against France on Jun 11th. In that time, Hodgson will have to work out his best first eleven, and try to make an impact on a group of players that went through qualification under Capello. Hodgson’s success at Fulham and West Brom with zonal marking and solid, workmanlike teams tends to take at least six months of hard work on the training field, and it is unlikely that his first tournament will give him the opportunity to mould England into his preferred style.

Squad Issues

Hodgson also faces the challenge of whether to rely on experience, if not energy, or blood a number of in form and younger Premiership players. Reliance on John Terry and Rio Ferdinand may create a lack of pace at the back for England, regardless of the players’ personal problems. Hodgson also has to wait to see whether he can rely on a fit Scott Parker to add stability to a midfield where Gerrard and Lampard might not be able to provide the power England will need across a tournament. Moreover, with Wayne Rooney suspended for the first few games, Hodgson will be more likely to turn to the aerial threat of Peter Crouch or Andy Carroll against France, Sweden and the Ukraine. A risk could be taken on in form strikers like Grant Holt, as well as young players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, particularly with Chris Smalling and Jack Wilshere already ruled out.

England Fans at Manchester City Stadium

Opposition

England’s chances of winning Euro 2012 look slim in this context compared to a rejuvenated France, who under Laurent Blanc have managed to overcome the infighting that saw them exist the 2010 World Cup. The recent defeat by France at Wembley will also be present in Hodgson’s minds. Sweden and co host Ukraine should, in theory, be beatable, but England shouldn’t expect any easy games. If England do get through the group stage, they will then have to weigh up whether they can overcome sides like Spain, Germany and Holland, all of which go into the tournament with much stronger momentum and squads.

Chances

It would be unfair to write off England’s chances though. Hodgson has significant international experience, having managed Switzerland the 1994 and 1996 World Cups and European Championships. He know how to make a side robust in big games, although his lack of top flight success in the Champions League will count against him. At best, fans can hope that Hodgson can provide a calming influence on the squad, and can repeat his strengths at getting the most out of players when the odds are stacked against them. This week’s squad announcement and the lineups for the Norway and Belgium will give a clearer indication over whether Hodgson will opt for caution, or experiment with England’s style.

Citations:

Habs works with live sport on tv, the definitive sports TV guide. Get the latest TV listings for over 35 different sports.

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The Sports Archives – Cagliari Calcio Is Sardinian for football – A Guide To The Italian Serie A Football

Posted on May 25, 2012 by thesportsarchives

The Italian Serie A side of Cagliari Calcio are unique in how they manage to stay in the top flight of Italian football with only a small base of fans to draw from, along with limited funds to compete with the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli and Roma.

In fact every season is a roller-coaster ride for the Rossoblu fans not knowing if it will be another fight to avoid relegation or the possibility of playing in European cup competitions. This season (2011/12) it looks like the Sardinians will not have to worry about either two scenarios occurring as they languish mid-table in 13th place.

The team was formed in the in the city of Cagliari the largest city on the island of Sardinia with a population of 150,000. Cagliari Calcio plays their home games in the Stadio Sant’Elia via Vespucci 09126 Cagliari which is located in the southeast of the city right on the Mediterranean. Built in 1920 the stadium has a capacity of 23,486 seats, which seems massive if compared to Serie A rivals A.C. Siena who have a capacity for just over 15,000.

Cagliari also had a brief spell flirting with a newly formed league in the United States called The United States Soccer Association, where along with other teams imported from Europe such as Sunderland, and Dundee United, Cagliari played for one season as the Chicago Mustangs before the league was disbanded.

CagliariAction from a Serie A match between Cagliari and Chievo, 2010/2011 season.

The Golden Year for Cagliari was 1970 when the team won the Italian Championship that season, with the team only losing two games, and conceding just eleven goals. (The fewest in any major European football league to this day).

Cagliari were Inspired when Angelo Domenghini joined the side. He played along with striker Luigi Riva, who would later play for Italy in the 1970 World Cup final with the Italians losing 4 – 1 to Pelé and his Brazilian teammates.

Of all the Cagliari players it is Luigi Riva or “Gigi” as he was most often called making his debut for Cagliari in 1963 in Serie B while improving with each passing season Gigi’s left foot was becoming a weapon that frightened the big boys of Italian football. The planets all seemed to be in line for Riva starting to become not only one of the best strikers in Italy but also in the world with the signing of fellow International Angelo Domenghini, Cagliari dominated Serie A and romped away with the title.

Riva was a man of conviction turning down all offers from other clubs to stay in Sardinia and play for the I isolani (islanders). Finally after two broken legs and numerous other injuries Riva was forced to retire in 1978 taking a back office job with Cagliari, and helping the Italian national team to World Cup victory in 2006. Cagliari retired Riva’s number eleven jersey in 2005 in honor to him and his services for the club and is the only club jersey to be retired to date.

So for an unusual football weekend away why not fly to Cagliari and watch a match. Book a Sardinian apartment and relax along the five-mile-long Poetto Beach? Enjoy some fresh Italian seafood while sipping on a glass of chilled Vermentino di Gallura white wine.

Low cost flights are available from the U.K. on Easyjet from Stansted for £110 round trip. Tickets for matches are available online from 60€. Hotel and Apartment rental costs vary but good bargains can be found, especially when accommodation is booked well in advance.

This article was authored by Nathan Griffiths on behalf of Car rentals Europe specialist e-rentals, use their comparison service the next time you need to hire a car.

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