Well first of all I want to say THANK YOU to anyone and everyone that has visited this site at some point. Back in October I put up a “Thank You” post as the site had reached 30,000 hits. I then set myself a target of 50,000 by the time I got married in March.

So I am delighted to say that the site reached the target, and then smashed it…today as I write this gibfootballshow sits at just over 100,000 hits. I am delighted with the views, didn’t expect anything like this ever. Although the site has been going now for about 18 months, it really only started during the 2010 World Cup so for me it’s a fantastic milestone.

This will be my last blog post for a couple of weeks. In three hours our taxi comes to take us to Manchester Airport as we fly to Jamaica for our wedding. The wedding day is not till the 16 ^th so got a few days to chill out and relax in the Jamaican sun. I really hope there is a TV at the bar so I can maybe watch the Champions League at least.

I might just have to watch my second favourite sport – basketball instead, oh well.

So I hope everyone stays well while I’m gone. The podcast will continue, Brent from Global Football Today will be hosting the next two shows, Charlie did a superb job this week when I didn’t have the time to do it, so the pressure’s on Brent now.

Until I return it’s goodbye for now.

Andrew

You may have noticed an unexplained banner floating across this fine blog for a while. What is Picklive you may well have asked? Well actually, it is a revolutionary cross between fantasy football games and in-play betting that has already transformed the way that thousands of people watch live football.

The game takes plays in real-time during televised matches and allows football fans to win cash prizes live whilst watching the action unfold.

Gib Football Show readers can get their first three games free by signing up here . All you need to do then is log on during any live game and pick the three players who you think will influence the game the most in that period. Your picks then have five minutes to accumulate points for all of their actions on the pitch, from passes and tackles to goals and assists, with the top three teams taking home a share of the cashpot.

You may consider yourself enough of an afficionado to strike out on your own , but if not then here is some friendly insiders advice from Picklive ahead of this evening’s game:

Top Man City Pick:

Yaya Toure

The rangy Ivorian amassed an astounding 136 points in his last Picklive outing against Aris Solonika, completing 80 passes in the process. Tonight’s game could well follow the same pattern of long, unbroken passages of City possession, of which Toure is the focal point. His willingness to break into the box from midfield is an added advantage.

Top Wigan Pick:

Ali Al-Habsi

If the match follows the same pattern as I seem to have predicted then the Wigan goalkeeper must be a sensible pick. The only Omani ever to play in the Premier League has been the Latics stand out figure this season, and without him their position could be a whole lot worse. So with eight points given to Goalkeepers for a save, and a City barrage expected throughout, he could well end up as the away side’s top Picklive scorer.

One to Avoid:

Mohamed Diame

Holding midfield players of Diame’s ilk are often a sought after commodity on Picklive. Their destructive approach sees them accumulate points regularly for passes, interceptions and tackles. Diame however bucks the trend, simply because he doesn’t really do anything at all. In 90 minutes against Newcastle earlier this season he managed to complete only 23 passes and 10 interceptions, a puny amount that makes him an absolute ‘no go’.

As Andy from Scotzine told me the other day it seems I have been “pimping” myself out this week. I thought I would put a little collection of links together in case any wandering visitors want to look at some articles.

The first article was done for the superb website The 72 Football in his continuing series of looking at different nations lower leagues, being a big fan of France’s Ligue 1 football I took it upon myself to delve in the deepest depths of the France football system. Hopefully you’ll find what I put together rather interesting.

http://theseventytwo.com/football-league/championship/2011/01/05/lower-leagues-across-the-globe-5-france/

My next piece was written for SpanishFootball.info in collaboration with David Cartlidge. With Spanish side Valencia CF moving to sign Adil Rami of Lille, David contacted me and asked, with me being a huge Lille and French football fan, would I write a piece about Adil with his strengths and weaknesses. I duly obiligied.

http://www.spanishfootball.info/2011/01/valencia-announce-capture-of-defender-adil-rami/

Next on the list was my weekly SPL column for the wonderful World Football Columns. After a short winter break I put a piece together detailing the week’s events in Scotland but also having a look at the current league reconstruction talks that have been taking place. So If you want a little Scottish update, why not have a look. It’s also a great site.

http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/01/06/real-men-wear-skirts-celtics-samaras-braces-rangers-and-spl-execs-search-for-the-perfect-ten/

Another piece I wrote this week but has yet to be published is for the superb 1 ^st Eleven. A number of writers were asked to put forward their Team of the Year, before the gala event UEFA will put on to announce theirs. I have been informed at shall be up soon. Keep your eyes peeled.

http://the1steleven.com/

The offers of work are flooding in (not) but I will be keeping myself busy with the Asian Cup, little reviews each day from that. And maybe a historic Lille piece that I have in mind.

Oh and the podcast.

So I know everyman and their dog has gone and done their awards already, but I wanted to take some time and give out awards to the people that have released some fantastic work and inspired bloggers all over the world.

With the help of my podcast team, and we couldn’t nominate ourselves: I give you the 2010 gibfootballshow awards.

Best Individual Blog – The Equaliser – Chris is a fantastic writer, he leaves no stone uncovered and has brought out some of the best work this year, don’t forget his excellent Top 20 Managers and My Favourite Footballer features.

Honourable mentions – Mirko Bolesan , Talking About Football , The Shin Guardian

read more »

Well everyone it has been nearly a month since the nominations were announced and my how time has flown by. Tomorrow night football bloggers from around the country will be joined together in a festival of food and drink to celebrate all the nights sat at their PC’s writing about the beautiful game.

It is set to be a momentous occasion, dignitaries such as Clive Tyldseley , the BBC’s Mihir Bose , the boys from The Football Ramble . Roy Meredith General manager of Championship Manager and of course don’t forget the high quality of nominated blogs: Michael Cox from Zonal Marking , Sid Lowe from The Guardian , Tim Vickery from BBC’s World Football Phone In.

Someone I have also managed to sneak a nomination for best podcast , I am looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the best and brightest in the blogging world. European football Weekends , Swiss Ramble , Sound of Football , twofootedtackle the list goes on and on.

Now if I have wetted your appetite a little there is still time to pick up a ticket . £20 gets you entry to the event and food and drink is included, even if there wasn’t an awards ceremony, the price seems good enough for the booze and grub.

So far you’re paying to be feed and watered, talk football with some of the brightest minds (and me) but you are also helping a charity. All proceeds for the event are going to DSActive , a wonderful charity helping kids with Down’s Syndrome, so there’s no excuse, over 30 tickets still remain, if you can make it make sure you come down, it’s going to be a great night.

The year is coming to an end and various websites are running votes to find the best people in their specific field. Already I am delighted to be nominated for best podcast from the great guys at picklive and now somehow I’ve managed to receive another nomination.

The wonderful website Scotzine are running an award for the best “Scottish” themed football website. I am honoured to be put forward, even more so when my site is not geared around Scottish football, but it seems my work for STV and World Football Columns has led to my nomination.

So if you would like to vote for me in the award I would be very grateful but of course a vote for anyone in the running would be a good thing. Personally I voted for Scott at thefootyblog.net

Click the link, make your choice, and if you vote for me, I am very grateful.

My good friend and podcast colleague Gav Stone runs the wonderful website “Les Rosbifs” tracking the movements and achievements off all the English players that ply their trade outside of the English border. For the last month voting has been going on to give the public a chance to decide who deserves a place in the Les Rosbif Hall of Fame.

Less from me and more from Gav:

It seems only right to celebrate the achievements of the best of England’s footballing exports to the rest of the world. We have had a few since the modern game was developed in the country. From the pioneers, teachers and early workers who left English shores to spread their enjoyment of the game in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, to the more recent successes…the list is endless.

This is where Les Rosbifs Hall of Fame has developed from. The ‘Most Influential’ lists have been popular articles, but just who have been the  great, most successful, most influential players, coaches and administrators in world football, out of all of those who have worked overseas?

You have had the opportunity to nominate who you feel are the Englishmen worthy of a place in the Hall of Fame. Now is your chance to vote for them. All of the nominations below qualify for entry to the Hall of Fame. What you must do now is vote for those you feel deserve their place. You can vote for 1, 2…however many you see as worthy!

read more »

Wanted to say “Thank You” to everyone who has visited the site recently, although the last 6 were me hitting F5 the site has reached 30,000 hits. For me that’s amazing! Only been going a year it’s been such a learning experience and a great thing to do.

I would hopefully like to hit 50,000 by the time I get married in March, so that’s the new goal. Got loads of good things coming to the site soon, Interviews, more tactical analysis, player profiles.

Of course don’t forget about the brilliant podcasts with Chris, Brent, Ethan, Charlie and Gav which I hope continue to get better and better.

My new solo pod focusing on Ligue 1 football.

Got some more work for STV lined up, such an honour to be featured on such a high profile website.

And finally more work on other sites World Football Columns, 90 Minutes Plus Injury Time, Scotzine and anyone else that wants me.

This football blog business is all about exposure, you need to get your name out there to as many people as possible, Twitter is such a great media for this, today with 350 followers I am overwhelmed by the interest shown in what I do, I keep saying to myself, not bad for someone who failed English at A-Level, it helps when you get to write about something you love.

I am really enjoying my writing at the moment so in this rich vein of optimism and interest I have opened my doors and have accepted a few opportunities to write for other websites, enjoy spreading the football word.

The piece on Stv.tv really started it all off got my name out there for quite a few people, the Utrecht piece saw over 700 visitors to the site, so I thank them for that and hope to do more in the future.

3 more opportunities have arisen since, I contributed my first SPL review for Global Football Today , that will be an ongoing role, really excited to help those great guys out. This morning saw my first article for the popular Scottish website Scotzine , I was honoured to be asked to write something for them, at first it was going to be an in-depth piece on the Utrecht v Celtic game, but after the terribly poor performance by Celtic it was deemed unnecessary, instead I wrote a piece on Scotland’s ever dwindling Co-efficient points total and how it could affect the league.

Next on the agenda is my work for In Bed With Maradona , a wonderful website bringing stories out with the normal football focus, really excited to write something for them, more on that one when it happens.

Last week saw my debut on the Global Football Today podcast , and tonight I move away from my own solo podcasts and I will be recording the show tonight with Charlie () from the Carvalho Peninsula , Brent () from Global Football Today and possibly Chris () from 6pointer.com , I have had quite a lot of interest from other excellent bloggers about future podcasts, so the future is looking bright for gibfootballshow, and to anyone else reading this that is looking for contributions to their site or podcast guests, drop me a line and if I have the time you can count me in.

As someone put it today on Twitter, I am starting my own football revolution, first their was this website, then I brought you my Podcasts, so what’s next I hear you ask, well…….

gibfootballforum

Yes that’s right I have launched a sister site to this, a forum where people can go and make their own points, start conversations, teach each other about players and teams we might not be aware of.

There used to be a group of us on a Pro Evo forum that had indepth conversations about football the in’s and out’s of the beautiful game so I wanted to create a place where this could happen again, so please go to the forum, sign up and start the conversation.

I hope to see a few of you there.