Friday, February 23, 2007



SPORTING BRAGA NEXT IN THE UEFA CUP

We will play Portuguese side SC Braga in the UEFA Cup Round of 16 after they beat Parma 1-0 , clinching a 2-0 aggregate victory.

Italian Serie A side Parma dominated the second leg but failed to find the breakthrough and were then hit by a sucker-punch goal from Diego in the final minute.

Braga are currently fifth in Portugal's Supaliga and a former club of our recent arrival Ricardo Rocha.

Spurs will travel to the Estadio Municipal de Braga - a ground built into the Monte Castro hillside that overlooks the city of Braga - for the first leg on March 8 with the return at the Lane on March 14/15. We will confirm the date of the home leg as soon as we can.





SPORTING CLUB de BRAGA info.

Sporting Clube de Braga is a Portuguese sports club, from the city of Braga, that was founded in 1921. Portuguese club Sporting Braga have been known as Arsenal do Minho -'Minho's Arsenal'- ever since former coach Jose Szabo returned from a match at Highbury in the 1930s and convinced his old team to ditch green in favour of red and white sleeves. (Sporting even renamed their youth team Arsenal do Braga).
Its
football team plays at the Braga Municipal Stadium, which was built for Euro 2004. The current manager of Braga is Jorge Costa. They shocked
everyone with a 3-2 win over Benfica and 3-2 win against Sporting Lisbon in the last (2005/06) season and a 2-1 win over FC Porto in the 2006\2007 season. The club is now becoming one of Portugal's most successful clubs afer the Big Three and they have been known to eliminate many clubs in major competitions


The new stadium

Estádio Municipal de Braga, entrance
Braga currently play at the
Estádio Municipal de Braga stadium. Many a fan were hoping it would bring the team good luck, that it did as Braga have been finishing in the top-half of the table in recent years.

It has one of the most spectacular settings of any stadium in the world, as it is carved out of the Monte Castro hillside that overlooks the city of Braga. The enormous earthmoving process contributed heavily to its €83.1 million cost, more than any other EURO 2004 venue except for the new Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, which has more than twice the capacity of the new Braga stadium. The architect for the project was Eduardo Souto de Moura.

Unlike most major stadiums, Braga Municipal has stands only on the two sides of the field; the two end zones are backed with rock walls left behind from the construction process. The two stands are covered with a canopy-style roof which are connected by multiple steel strings over the pitch, inspired by ancient south American Inca bridges.
The stadium was inaugurated on 30 December 2003 with Braga beating Celta de Vigo 1-0.

Fans of Braga

The fans of SC Braga are known as Arsenalistas due to their never-say-die attitude. Many of Braga fans are known for their crazy antics such as throwing flares in the field to get their players pumped up. However, lately, they have been disappointing. In Braga's round of 32 match against
Parma in the Uefa Cup, only 6,500 spectators were present.

Symbols and Europe
The emblem of Sporting Braga is the city of
Braga's shield with Mother Mary and baby Jesus. On the top of the Emblem is the Royal Crown of Braga, with the name Sporting Clube da Braga on it. Many fans of SC Braga have said that Mother Mary gives them luck.
Back in the 60's and 70's Braga began to climb up the league ladder and eventually participated in the UEFA Competitions.

Braga's success was thanks to Jesualdo's astute management of his human resources. His pragmatic tactics also paid dividends, skills acquired in a varied career taking in spells with CF Estrela Amadora and the Moroccan Army team FAR Rabat, plus four years with the Portugal Under-21 side.

He is a level-headed character. Musing on the end of Braga's extraordinary run of clean sheets, Jesualdo said: "It was a pity the first goal we conceded this season came from an own goal, as I would have preferred a great goal. But I always also said that, on the day it happened, the priority would be to win the match. It was a record that did not matter much. It was earned by a team which did not concede goals, but without meaning we have a defensive philosophy."

Braga, who owe their Sporting Club tag to the better known Lisboetas, after whom they were named, changed their kits from green-and-white hoops to their Arsenal-style red in 1920 when their then coach Jozef Szab,following a trip to England, ordered the club to adopt new colours to establish their own identity.





Wednesday, February 21, 2007

CHELSEA QUARTER FINAL DATE



Our FA Cup quarter-final away to Chelsea will take place on Sunday March 11 at 1.45pm (Malta time)

Monday, February 19, 2007

-THE FA CUP-

IT'S CHELSEA IN THE QUARTER FINALS



After our 4-0 win annihilation of Fulham at Craven Cottage we will face London rivals Cheslea at Stamford Bridge in what promises to be an exciting quarter final.

The draw was made today and this is the full programme:
Chelsea v Tottenham

M'Boro/ WBA v Man Utd/ Reading

Arsenal/ Blackburn v Man City

Plymouth v Watford

Ties to be played on 10 and 11 March

Thursday, February 15, 2007

RELOCATION OF TICKET OFFICE AND
OTHER TICKET NEWS


Members travelling to London may wish to note that the Park Lane Ticket Office is being relocated with effect from Thursday, March 1.

The move will see the Ticket Office housed behind the Members’ Office on Paxton Road opposite the North Stand. This is the first step towards the integration of the Members’ Office and Ticket Office and will also include the introduction of a new ticketing service provider from next season – making use of the latest technology to improve service to fans. More details of ticketing services for next season will follow over the coming weeks.


Further benefits of the relocation will include a secure drop-box facility for those wishing to drop-off ticket applications, a covered area for those waiting to enter the new Ticket Office, and clear segregation of home and away supporters, as visiting fans wishing to collect tickets will do so at the new Park Lane away supporter collection windows.

The following dates will also see alterations to the current Park Lane Ticket Office’s opening hours:


Key Dates:

Friday, February 16
Park Lane Ticket Office open for sales, home supporter ticket collections and all other enquiries until 12:30pm. Please use the Paxton Road Ticket Office after 1pm.


Sunday, February 25 (Bolton Wanderers)
PARK LANE TICKET OFFICE CLOSED. Paxton Road Ticket Offices open for sales, home supporter ticket collections and all other enquiries.


Monday, February 26
Park Lane Ticket Office open as normal.


Tuesday, February 27
Park Lane Ticket Office open as normal.


Wednesday, February 28
PARK LANE TICKET OFFICE CLOSED. Please use the Paxton Road Ticket Office for sales, home supporter ticket collections and all other enquiries.


Thursday, March 1
The new Paxton Road Ticket Office opens for all future home supporter ticketing services.
Home supporters wishing to purchase matchday tickets in person from March 1 are reminded to do so from the new Ticket Office, which will be open from 9.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. As always on matchdays, the new Ticket Office will be open four hours prior to kick off, until half time (subject to availability).

Wednesday, February 14, 2007


RAIL NEWS
SPURS V BOLTON


Members travelling to White Hart Lane for the Bolton home game on Sunday February 25 (3.00pm UK time) should take note of the following rail news:

One (West Anglia) Rail have informed us of the following… Before 13.00, trains will be running between Liverpool Street and Enfield Town via White Hart Lane and Liverpool Street and Waltham Cross via Northumberland Park. Replacement buses will be running from Enfield Town calling all stations to Hertford East and Waltham Cross calling all stations to Audley End.

After 13.00, trains will be running Liverpool Street to Enfield Town and Hertford East via White Hart Lane and Liverpool Street to Bishops Stortford via Northumberland Park. Replacement buses will run between Bishops Stortford and Audley End/Stansted Airport.

There are changes to the Stansted Express train that will affect any fans intending to use this service on February 25. Due to engineering work taking place between Bishops Stortford and Audley End, Stansted Express services will be replaced by a coach service to/from Bishops Stortford and Stansted Airport on these days.

Please note that on Sunday February 25 these works will start at 13.00. Stansted Express apologises for any inconvenience caused and advises customers to check amended timetable information at stations at www.stanstedexpress.com or by calling National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50

(All times quoted above are UK Time)

Thursday, February 08, 2007

NEW EVERTON DATE

Our Premiership fixture away to Everton - originally scheduled for January 31 - will now be played on Wednesday February 21.
The date is subject to our UEFA Cup round of 32 tie against Feyenoord not going ahead.
In the event that we are involved in the UEFA Cup on February 22, the game will take place on Wednesday February 28 - subject to any FA Cup fifth round replay.

Friday, February 02, 2007

WHITE HART LANE TOURS

Members who are travelling to London in the coming weeks and are interested in booking a stadium tour of White Hart Lane may wish to take note that the next tours with spaces available are as follows:

Tuesday 13th February at 11am (UK time)

Wednesday 14th February at 11am or 2.30pm (UK time)

Thursday 15th February at 11am or 2.30pm (UK time)

Saturday 2nd June at 11am or 1pm (UK time)

For bookings call 020 8365 5056