UK's Lawrence Appleby Gives Tips to Scouting Hopefuls

Lawrence Appleby has seen his share of football clubs. From scouting for Hereford United FC during their Welsh FA Cup winning year to serving as joint manager at Morepth with ex-Premier player Trev Benjamin, Appleby’s career inside the world of football has been filled with adventure and wisdom.

This season you can find him scouting for a number of lower division clubs. Even with his breadth of experience, he is still faced with his most difficult task-finding the right players at the right price.

For those players who dream to follow in Appleby’s footsteps, he has offered the following advice:

• Start watching games, of all levels, as many times as you can each week
• Watch individual players and watch teams (their formations etc.)
• Learn to take thorough notes. Appleby’s match reports are usually 10 pages long full report on all aspects of opponents, formation, set pieces etc
• In his player reports, he includes height/weight, details on passing, tackling and dribbling. He provides the statistics on number of good passes against bad passes in a game, their coverage of the field, and their position in looking for the ball. However in the end, Appleby finds a good player always stands out.
• Must be able to study the match without being distracted
• When watching players: If you see a good player in a game, watch him play multiple times. Talk to the coach and manager. Then mention the player’s name or stand next to bench and say something like, “They always take short passes.” Eventually, you will make contacts.

Turkish Men Behaving Badly: League Punishes Male Fans

In an attempt to promote a more nonviolent,family friendly atmosphere, the Turkish league has banned male soccer fans from attending matches this past weekend. In their place, women and boys under the age of 16 were allowed to cheer on their favorite clubs for free. To read more of the story, click here.

Are there any other events, you think men should be given a timeout? Weigh in. We would love to hear your thoughts!

T&T Highlanders FC Has 3 Keys to Successful Season

All around the globe, soccer clubs are nearing the end of their pre-season and looking towards the 2011-2012 campaign. Trinidad’s 1st division club, T&T Highlanders FC is no different. We profiled them earlier this year in an installment of the Eat Soccer News Page. This is the first year for the T&T Highlanders, and we caught up with their owner, James Baird to find out more about their 3 ingredients for success this season.

No club can begin to function successfully without funding. Since our last report, the club has secured Lensyl Products Limited, a privately owned, international soft furnishings manufacturer, as its major sponsor. According to Baird, “We really owe a lot to Justin Lall and the Lensyl team for helping T&T Highlanders FC to get off on the right foot financially.”

Secondly, Baird has been tapping his network of contacts to provide international opportunities for top players from his 1st team. Sean Aberdeen is a talented attacking midfielder/striker who came to the club from current pro league side Joe Public. With a track record as a very quick and reliable striker, there is interest in him going to an American university this fall. Another attacking midfielder/winger, Jabari Raphael came to the club from local side Valtrin United. Raphael’s talents have generated interest in him trialing with a few European clubs in the not-so-distant future.

Lastly, the club is discovering quality players in through its academy program. As detailed by Baird, “We have two 15 year old players, Kyron Glasgow and Gehorkey Nunes, who have been promoted to the first team squad. They are both talented wingers, and if they continue to improve, they will make excellent professionals.”

This formula seems to have the T&T Highlanders off to a solid start. A recent pre-season match against local side Sparta FC yielded a 5-3 victory, with Jason Patron scoring 3 and Sean Aberdeen scoring 2 for the club.
To follow the progress of the T&T Highlanders, click here.

Fiesta Georgia Features Youth Soccer Tourney

For those Atlanta area soccer clubs that want to take on some new competition without traveling too far, the 4th Annual Fiesta Georgia may be just the event for you!

This one day celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month will feature a youth soccer tournament that will include Rockdale area soccer clubs. Hosted by the Lanza Group, LLC, all festivities will take place at the Georgia International Horse Park on Sunday, September 25th, 2011. For additional information visit Facebook: facebook.com/FiestaGeorgia or FiestaGeorgia.com.

GoGo squeeZ + Kick It Tour Bring Soccer, Fun & Healthy Snacks

To encourage active play, GoGo squeeZ is partnering with Kick It, the nation's largest 3v3 soccer competition, to provide a healthier snack option to soccer fields at over 60 locations.

GoGo squeeZ is the first squeezable, re-sealable, 100 percent fruit applesauce snack. The packaging has a built-in straw, and requires no refrigeration, which means no cooler, spoons or mess, whether on the field or off.

In addition to serving as a sponsor for the Kick It tournaments and providing samples to thousands of people, GoGo squeeZ is encouraging families to join its GoGo Gang. Once membership levels reach 100,000, the company pledges to build a playground in an underserved community. More playgrounds have been pledged for construction when additional membership levels are reached.

So get your players ready for competition. To find out more information about location and registration for Kick It in your area, click here.

Here is a sample list of Kick It tournament cities below.

Charlotte, N.C. (June 25)
St. Louis, Mo. (July 9)
Indianapolis, Ind. (July 16)
Chicago, Ill. (July 16)
Atlantic City, N.J. (July 30)
The Colony, Texas (July 30)

Farmers Insurance & Mexican Legend Team Up For Free Soccer Clinics

Want a chance to meet a soccer legend who is known for blocking shots as well as scoring them? Well, look no further because Mexican soccer legend Jorge Campos is teaming up with Farmers Insurance in the youth initiative "Juega y Aprende con Jorge Campos." (Play and Learn with Jorge Campos)

These free soccer clinics are open to 100 youth in each host city, and will allow each participant to develop their skills with the assistance of Jorge Campos and a number of MLS staff. Additionally, each child will leave with a gift pack that includes a ball, water bottle, autograph and more.

To participate in the drawing parents can go to the Play and Learn event page on the Farmer's Insurance web site. To translate the information to English, simply click the Ingles link at the top of the page!

Here are the event dates in your city:

San Antonio - June 4 (10 am - 12 pm)
Dallas - June 5 (11 am - 1 pm)
San Jose, June 11 (2 pm - 4 pm)

Alaska Airlines Gives Portland Timbers' Fans A Reason to Cheer

Almost a week ago, Alaska Airlines debuted the final product of their "Paint the Plane" contest to fans. The MLS themed plane celebrates the city's very own Portland Timbers and was a combination of designs submitted by Paul Wright of Portland, Oregon and John Bode of San Mateo, California.

As the official airline and shirt sponsor for the club, Alaska Airlines has extended another benefit to Timbers' fans who will be flying out of the Portland International Airport during the current MLS season. Alaska Airlines will extend early boarding privileges to Portland International Airport passengers wearing an official Timbers jersey throughout the 2011 MLS season.