No cans or bottles in a Premier League stadium, but in Greece...

Courtesy of Lee Charlton

Dare vs The FA formation (rematch)

Here is an indication of how were doing for tomorrow in terms of a line-up. Regarding the subs, I may have to narrow down the 5 to 3 as playing all 5 may jeopardise the balance of the team in what expects to be tough match.

Suggestions/thoughts welcome – please reply to me only though.

Thanks.

PS. Other players possibly available include: Phil, Firth, Miles, Filmer and Rutherford.

Miss of the century?

Courtesy of Dip...

Shinned it...

Courtesy of Phil Wright (who apparently dreamed about Fooks scoring like this last night?)...

The Rohit Mistry Testimonial

Dare 2 – 5 Glue

1. Rohit Mistry [c]
2. Ryan McGrath
3. Gary Lathwell
4. Chris Sams
5. Ian Fooks
6. Phil Wright
7. Jamie Green
   

0-2
A brave dare team were outclassed on Wednesday night by a physical and motivated Glue side in a very competitive testimonial for Rohit Mistry. With Captain Green in goal, dare were unfortunate to 0-2 down within the opening 10-15 minutes thanks to two quick and powerful drives from a sharp Glue centre-forward.

2-2
Some disbelief began to creep in after the realisation of the deficit ahead, but after some decent organisation and encouragement helped dare to admirably claw back into the game thanks to two fabulous strikes from Fooks and also Lathwell (returning after a long absence from the team). These two great individual efforts were of course closely support by some impressive team build-up which setup a promising last 15-20 minutes to the game with the score now levelled at 2-2.

2-3
Unfortunately, as legs began to tire and after a few close shaves on the Glue goal, the turning point came via a ‘howler’ from keeper Green who was unable control a powerful long drive and helplessly parried into the left corner of the goal with the ball rolling agonisingly beyond the line. An immediate rush of disappointment swept the team (similar to that of losing to a Golden Goal, ie. Italy in Euro 2000).

2-5
Attempts were made to re-ignite the team’s belief that we were only a few efforts away form getting back into the game, but Glue were able to sneak 2 more goals within this shaky period; one neat finish from wide and another from a hopeful a long drive that was blindly spotted by keeper Green as the opposition had managed to cover the direction of the shot via running across the keeper’s vision during flight. Dare had about 3 decent chances to score in return but with the players unable to take their limited opportunities time soon ran out.

Conclusion
Overall a cracking game until the late turning point which proved quite devastating. Glue meant business on the night fielding a tall physical team with a very efficient striker who only needed a yard. With a proper keeper Wednesday’s dare side could of sneaked a win with some better fortune on the night. Had a couple more of dare’s key match winners been available I’m sure the oranges would of been crushed .

There can be only one
Thanks Rohit for all your appearances, assists and goals over the last year and more. You’ve been a very handy attacking threat to have available and have been especially lethal in the 5-a-side circuit. Your trickery with the ball will be sorely missed as Dare FC regrettably loses it’s Ashley Young.

If Ryan was a goalkeeper

Southend: Current Wingman status...

Southend: Current wingman status for xmas party

Group Captain: Captain Green
Squadron Leader: Nadeem

Senior Wing Commanders (*non-senior):
Dennis / Mistry
Fooks / Roy
Viveiros / Stenz*

Wing Commanders (*with solo status):
Lee Charlton*
Kassam / Baba

Rookie Wing Cadets (all with solo status):
Will Lear
Dan Whitehead
Jake Kalliah

New Nike kit suggestions

Decision time – please choose...
The time has come to decide what to do about the kit. Please read the two options below and respond with your preference.

A. Nike (please read)

• We choose from the 3 designs attached.
• Pay approx £20-25 each.
• Receive 14 new shirts, shorts and socks at various sizes.
• However they will have NO NAMES.
• NUMBERED ONLY.
• Won’t be able to keep them personally as it will become a team kit kept within the company. This is to avoid the issue of us being short of shirts if/when people leave within the next 12 months.
  

B. Kappa (no new kit)
We stick with what we’ve got and I proceed with sorting out the new players (Dan & Sam) with their shirts. This should also be an opportunity to renew your shirt/shorts/socks should you need to.

A great Dane and really nice guy

Interesting insight into Martin Laursen and his career from BBC's Dan Walker:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/danwalker/2009/11/martin_laursen_a_great_dane_an.html

Pavlyuchenko to demand Spurs exit

Someone get ‘Arry on the blower, pronto...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/8355751.stm

The new Capello?

Courtesy of Stenzhorn's iPhone

Gerrard and Chelsea mascot handshake

Anyone fancy kissing West Ham's badge?

Courtesy of Lee Charlon

Romeo & Juliet

Probably the best Soccer AM Skill School I've ever seen

Fan dressed as sheep set alight

Dare 15 - 1 Pirata

Power League - Old st – London

Last night after an invite from Eddy and David a depleted dare fc squad took on Pirata London in a 5v5 competitive match...

After an initial looking strong squad we were hampered by some late moment quitters...

1. Rohan Nayee [c]
2. Ryan McGrath
3. Dan Viveiros
4. Dan Whitehead
5. Kit Suman
6. Lexi Cherniavsky
7. Ian Fooks
8. Dip Mistry
9. Will Lear
10. Rohit Mistry
    

Will ‘ the email is down again’ Lear had more urgent matters to attend, Dan ‘hoes before bros’ Viverios, Dan ‘ my priorities lie elsewhere ’ Whitehead, and Rohan ‘ There has been a cancellation at the sunbeds which I just can’t refuse even though I’m captain’ Reynolds were noticeable dropouts in the captain absence.

With Ryan ‘I forgot my kit’ McGrath running late Dare fc were forced to play for 15 minutes with Eduardo returning to his old squad and Ian ‘ I forgot my shorts’ Fooks playing in jeans awaiting McGraths shorts drop off. Not an ideal start against the former colleagues.

This being said it became obvious quite early that this would be Dare fc’s night.

What had initial seemed like a tough fixture ended up being a routing for the boys, goals and skills aplenty the outcome was never in doubt...even the constant heckling of one Jonny Goodall on the sidelines couldn't put the team off, especially Suman who ignored the ‘biscuit’ and ‘old man’ jibes to score some 5 goals. The overpowering presence of Big Ron as temporary manager kept the rest of the dominant Pirata fans at bay.

The astonishing score line was a credit to the core team that played, great running some superb football...that will teach those spaniards for splitting and stealing our Goodall.

15 -1after 60 mins


Man of the Match : Kit Suman

Some great play and goals all round McGrath misses out after some great yet wild shooting and for letting in the only goal, Lexi was his normal sublime self, rohit ripped the weary midfield of Mark Evan amongst others apart. Fooks provided and added some goals unlucky not to score with one audacious volley but not the shining light.

But Suman really reminded us of the player he is/was with some awesome finishing and mean ball keeping.

A great game for Dare fc in the captain absence.

Fooks :)

(In place of) The Captain

Cristiano Ronaldo singing Amor Mio

Lingerie Football League (LFL)

Just the best sport known to man; Lingerie Football League. Yeah, you heard me right…

The ultimate WAG-mobile

Hello boyz...

Roy's back from holiday...

Arsène Wenger – his Arsenal career in pictures

Who shot Reynolds?

Still doesn’t break-a-sweat even when shot at. Ice cold.

Courtesy of Dip.

Headed goal from 40 meters

Roy and the Swede warming up

'Arry warns Spurs players after Saturday's nightclub antics

Dare vs Glue formation

This evening I suggest we go with the following formation. In consideration of last minute ‘pull-outs’ by 3 players the below option A would seem most solid.

Premier League's top 20 transfer flops

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/gallery/2009/sep/04/premier-league-transfer-flops-top-20

Luka Modrić TV advert?

Where are they now? (Espen Baardsen)

Cracking goalie shirt

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/may/04/4

What an absolute bargain! (Kranjcar)

Incredible! We pay £6M for Fabien Delph and Spurs get Kranjcar...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/8232598.stm

Martin No’Deal

Bayern fans to be given free beer

And we thought there was a booze culture at dare fc... (Ian Fooks)

Conversation with Kassam

Give Kassam a drink, and he begins to sound a little like this:

http://www.e4.com/video/eBwe0xbDIMmm8438WTYkDa/play.e4

"He's a saucy c..."

Guardian images from last night's Carling Cup game between West Ham and Millwall;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/gallery/2009/aug/25/carlingcup-footballviolence?picture=352104796

The FA dazzle an unlucky dare (Dare XI 0 – 2 The FA)

The FA dazzle an unlucky dare

Dare XI 0 – 2 The FA - Match report

The Build-up
Last Friday, as many of you may remember, was an exceptionally beautiful August evening. Paddington Recreation Ground, located in the heart of the leafy suburb of Maida Vale, made a quite perfect setting for what was expected to be dare’s toughest encounter yet, The FA.

Early whispers from those close to the account had suggested an FA team being custom built of former 90s international heroes such as Beardsley, Les Ferdinand, Waddle. This speculation was however mercifully extinguished on the opening sight of our opponents entering the field, all in dazzling pure England white.

Game...

In brief, this much anticipated debut fixture was settled either end of half-time by two slick corner set-pieces. Two powerful tidy headers were converted easily by our opponents with devastating timing just before/after halt-time to leave the dare defence open-mouthed, hands-a-side and all gasping for answers that were never coming.

Despite these two moments of brilliance from our opponents, dare were rarely threatened directly at goal for most of the game and were unlucky not to have opened the scoring themselves with several decent chances during the opening 60 minutes.

The dare midfield sparkled on several occasions and was packed full of talent and variety with the likes of Roy, Rohit, Whitehead, Lexi and Fooks. The defence absorbed pressure effectively and were supportive enough to rescue each other well when needed. However this was not enough to over come a resilient FA team and as the opening hour passed dare visibly began to fade and after the two goals had been conceded - belief soon followed. During the later period our opponents were able to settle comfortably and eventually control the game with effective sweeping counter-attacks late on.

The Verdict...
Overall, the final score was an unsettling result for the Rosaneri of dare. In reflection I still remember now the sight of the dare squad leaving the pitch all visibly frustrated rather than disappointed by their performances. No one could argue that The FA were the more convincing of the two opponents. They deserve credit for their performance and were solid throughout, but the fact we failed to score doesn’t justify our contribution to what was overall an evenly fought game for the majority.

The classic commentator’s cliché of ‘the 2nd goal will decide this game’ (as quoted by Rohan at half-time) proved quite true on this occasion and The FA should be congratulated for taking their chances very very well.

The Players...

Dennis Christensen
Solid keeping between the sticks despite his pre-game nerves and obvious apprehension. Made some important saves when needed and could do little about the two corners. Perhaps communication could of been better between keeper and defence but other that a Dennis was safe at the back. Personally, I’ll never forget his cameo moment when he ventured out of the box Grobbelaar style.

Jamie *(friend of Dan Whitehead)
Started very well and certainly gave us extra authority in defence at left-back. Useful with the ball and provided a welcome option on the left. A little excessive vocally at times such is the passion of the boy and caught out of position more than I would prefer, but a very important player on the day.

Captain Green
I enjoyed a comfortable game after a slightly lethargic start. Never really felt under pressure too often from their strike force and enjoyed combing with Dip in central defence.

Dip Mistry
Crucial in defence especially in the air early on. Good on the ball and lively when needed for chasing-down through balls. A great performance despite the sacrifice.

James Kassam
Not the most memorable of games for Kassam despite performing his defence duties effectively. Looked a little drained and short of confidence after a recent busy schedule of late. A dependable performer but lacking his normal spark.

Lexi Cherniavsky
The benefit of having Lexi (and Fooks) is that your always guaranteed a decent level of performance and a variety of skills in the middle, but unfortunately consistency always seems to battle the pair when they play together (i.e. Lampard/Gerrard syndrome). On this occasion Fooks seemed slightly the sharper of the pair, but in consideration of Lexi’s recent food poisoning - this would prove quite the handicap during a leggy football mach.

Ian Fooks
3PF Fooksie, the Gascoigne of the team. You never know with Fooksie, you literally never know. However, on this occasion Fooks was a battler in the midfield and fought valiantly for his team. Unfortunately on this occasion time on-the-ball was short for Fooks (and Lexi) and together their ability to create was sadly stifled somewhat in their defensive-midfield roles.

Rohit Mistry
The search would appear to continue for Rohit’s best position in the 11-a-side game. Naturally he comes across as a winger in the same style as Ashley Young, but on view of the last few occasions I’m now wondering if a Michael Owen style role upfront would seem more appropriate? Still to show his potential in the big game but I have the feeling we might see it very soon.

Rohan Nayee
Often the talisman for dare, Roy’s form in front of goal seems to have left him of late. Showed great composure and vision within the build-up play as expected but his finishing seems to be suffering when it matters. Nearly scored a spectacular overhead and probably would of if hadn’t of been for a shade of doubt in his movement at final the moment of contact. Temporary blip on Roy radar.

Dan Whitehead
A wild debut from Whitehead. Much like the untamed gypsy - Whitehead has a bright-eyed quality, full of passion and drive. Unfortunately this visibly began to fade late on and after some heating exchanges it seemed as though the faith was failing. Despite this Dan was the source behind a majority of dare’s best chances from wide-right and was unlucky not to score on two occasions. A fine maverick of a player full of bottle but a temperament most delicate.

Leighton **(friend of Luke)
A likeable regular for some time to the dare’s Maida Vale sessions, Leighton showed great promise as a lone striker for this occasion. Worked hard and created some great opportunities to score, but unfortunately lacked the finish needed to capture the game. Suffered a grim injury early on which may of limited his performance later on in the game. Another important player on the day.

(Substitutes) Miles Gilder & Matt Firth
Limited by the amount of game time but contributed heartily never the less.


...and finally
A moment of credit and glory is due to our supporters on the day made up of Creek, Hastings, Double-Day, Summer and Tina. Thank you very much for your kind support. It was very much appreciated subconsciously and I hope you all enjoyed the dare fc experience - (with the exception of Hastings who is already a seasoned dare fc performer).

Attack Cardio with Vinnie Jones

Courtesy of Fooks...

Attack Cardio with Vinnie Jones from Vinnie Jones

Pavlyuchenko Songs (talkSPORT)

Courtesy of Dan Viveiros

Bentley down Tottenham Court Road

About Dare FC

Dare FC was started in June 2006, and in its few years of existence the squad has gone form strength-to-strength. The team have practiced 5-a-side weekly for nearly 2 years, and occasionally compete in full 11-a-side friendlies - all within the Maida Vale area.

Our most significant to date moment of success was during the 2007 NABS Charity Media 5-a-side tournament at Goals Wembley, where a 8-man squad of elite members were successful in winning the NABS Silver Plate.

In years gone by the dare fc foundation has seen many members come and go from all across the Globe including talents from Sweden, Austria, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal. This exotic array of talent has enabled the squad to grow to a healthy 20+ members, each player offering something different to the Dare FC starting line-up.