What Happened to the Everton 1995 FA Cup Winning Squad

As part of our continuing series of "Where are they now...", today we are looking at what has become of the Everton FC FA Cup winning team of 1994-95.

Neville Southall - Founder of  www.asknevillesouthall.com. A further biog can be found at the Premier League Heroes website HERE

Matt Jackson - Retired in 2008 after a long career at Wigan and Norwich. Upon retired he joined IMG as a football consultant and in 2011 he was appointed Operations Manager at Wigan Athletic

Dave Watson - Man of the Match in this game, Watson finally retired in 2001 after 15 years at Everton. He is now Under 18 Coach at Newcastle United

David Unsworth - Currently Head of Academy Coaching at Sheffield United. A further biog can be found at the Premier League Heroes website HERE

Gary Ablett - Passed away in 2012 after battling non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Previously coached the Liverpool Reserves and Stockport County

Anders Limpar - After finishing his playing career in his native Sweden in 2001, Limpar embarked on a coaching career and is currently Assistant Manager of Swedish Second Division Team Sollentuna United

Joe Parkinson - After battling numerous injuries Parkinson retired from the game at the age of 28. He has recently taken on a coaching role at former club Wigan Athletic

Barry Horne - After dropping down the leagues Horne retired in 2002 and took on a job as a teacher at a school in Chester as well as a bit of media work

Andy Hinchcliffe - Retired from playing in 2002 and is now currently working as a co-commentator for SkySports.

Graham Stuart - After leaving Everton Stuart had a long career with Charlton before retiring in 2005. Has done occasional work on SkySports

Paul Rideout - Ended his career in 2002 with Tranmere Rovers, Rideout went into coaching and is currently in the US working as Youth Team Coach at Sporting Kansas City.

Subs
Duncan Ferguson - A cult figure on the terraces, Ferguson retired from playing in 2006 after his second spell with the club. He is currently coaching back at the club

Daniel Amokachi - Currently Assistant Manager of the Nigerian National side.

For fantastic Official Everton Gifts check out The Premier League Gift Shop

For more information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at our site Premier League Heroes

What Happened to the Leeds 1991-92 Championship Winning Team

I sat watching the Leeds United v Chelsea Capital One game last night and the camera panned onto Gary McAllister who was a spectator in the crowd. The commentator went on to say that McAllister was part of the First Division Championship winning team in the 1991-92 season which was the last one before the Premier League was introduced. I had completely forgotten about this fact and it got me thinking about who was in that winning squad and what they have been upto in the years since they won.


In a series of blog articles I am going to compile a "Where are they now...?" post which will give a brief bio of the players from various winning teams over the year.

We will start off with the Leeds First Division Title winning team of 1991-92

Mervyn Day - Retired in 1993 and went onto manage Carlisle United for a couple of years before joining forces with Alan Curbishley as First Team Coach at Charlton and West Ham. He is currently working at Brighton & Hove Albion as Scouting and Talent Identification Manager.

John Lukic  - Lukic left Leeds for the second time in his career in 1996 after Nigel Martyn joined the club and he retired from playing after a spell at Arsenal in 2001. He now works as a part time freelance goalkeeping coach and after dinner speaker

Chris Fairclough - After retiring in 2001whilst playing for York City, Fairclough went to Nottingham Forest and coached their U17 team but left in 2011. He is now Professional Development Phase Coach at Charlton Athletic for their U16-U18 team

Tony Dorigo - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Jon Newsome - Unfortunately had to retire early due to injury, Newsome briefly worked as a scout before opening a prestige used car company in Sheffield/

Mel Sterland - Another player who fell foul of injury, Sterland had to cut his Leeds career short in 1994 but joined Boston United as a Player Manager for a couple of years in the mid 1990's. Has appeared in football film When Saturday Comes and also had his autobiography published.

Rod Wallace - After retiring at the end of the 2003-04 season, Wallace had a few years off before embarking on a coaching career at Kingstonian and then Molesley. He is now Reserve Team Coach at Epsom and Ewell.

David Wetherall - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Chris Whyte - Whyte played up to his late 30's before retiring from the game. He is now a Senior Partner in a Professional Sports Agency called Old Pro Management

David Batty - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Gary Speed - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Gary McAllister - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Gordon Strachan - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Lee Chapman - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Carl Shutt - A fan's favourite for his tireless workrate on the pitch, Shutt called time on his career in 2005 when he was released as Player/Manager by Bradford Park Avenue.

Eric Cantona - Biography can be seen HERE at the Premier League Heroes website

Visit the Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

 For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes

Top 10 Christmas Presents for a Chelsea FC Fan

With over 2000 gift items on our site www.footballgiftsonline.co.uk there really is something for everyone whether they are Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs or in our blog today - Chelsea fans.

If you haven't got time to browse our entire website and are looking for our best selling Chelsea gifts, we have compiled a list of our 10 best selling Chelsea items.

1/. Chelsea FC Men's Moccasins - in 3 different sizes these slippers are fleece lined ensuring that your feet won't get cold this winter. The classic design also features the Chelsea FC Lion crest on the front.

2/. Chelsea FC Shot Glass Set - with the Christmas party season coming up what better way to toast the occasion than with a cheeky tipple from this fantastic Chelsea FC Glass Shot Set. Bottoms Up!!

3/. Chelsea FC Baby Stretch Slippers - Ultra cute and super comfortable, these Chelsea FC baby slippers range in size from newborn to 12 months. Chelsea blue in colour with the club crest on the front these slippers are perfect for a "Chelsea" baby

4/. Chelsea FC Men's Watch - Stylish and sleek, this square analogue watch will look great on any Chelsea fan of any age. The perfect Christmas present.

5/. Chelsea FC Chrome Hip Flask - One of our best sellers for Father's Day as well as Christmas, this classic hip flask is great if you fancy a little "nip" whilst on the move.

6/. Chelsea FC Drinks Bottle - Available in both plastic and aluminium these bottles are ideal for not only the gym but also perfect for the little ones to take to school or football.

7/. Chelsea FC Golf Balls - Does exactly what it says on the tin....3 golf balls with the Chelsea Club Crest on  in a presentation pack. Good stocking filler!!

8/. Chelsea FC Christmas Tree Star - The perfect finish to the traditional Christmas tree, this plastic star is a nice little alternative to the boring star or fairy at the top of the tree.

9/. Chelsea FC Oven Gloves - Surprisingly very popular these oven gloves not only provide functionality, they also look great in the blue and white colours of Chelsea and the club badge on the glove part

10/. Chelsea FC Number Plate Sign - These look absolutely fantastic in a kids bedroom or a home bar - these number plate signs are made of metal but very lightweight and have the letters CHEL5EA printed on in a car number plate design.


Visit our Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes

The Premer League 100 Club

Jermaine Defoe recently scored his 200th career goal - a fantastic achievement for a player who has only just turned 30 years old. If you break these 200 goals down you will see that 116 of these were scored in the Premier League and his 100th Premier League goal actually came last March (2011).

We take a look at the other players who have hit and surpassed this fantastic milestone


1/. Alan Shearer - 260 Goals
2/. Andy Cole - 187 Goals
3/. Thierry Henry - 175 Goals
4/. Robbie Fowler - 163 Goals
5/. Frank Lampard - 153 Goals
6/. Les Ferdinand & Michael Owen - 149 Goals
7/. Teddy Sheringham 147 Goals
8/. Wayne Rooney 146 Goals
9/. Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink - 127 Goals
10/. Robbie Keane - 126 Goals
11/. Nicolas Anelka & Dwight Yorke - 123 Goals
12/. Jermaine Defoe - 116 Goals
13/. Ian Wright - 113 Goals
14/. Dion Dublin & Emile Heskey - 111 Goals
15/. Ryan Giggs & Paul Scholes - 107 Goals
16/. Matt Le Tissier  & Robin Van Persie - 102 Goals
17/. Darren Bent - 100 Goals
18/. Didier Drogba - 100 Goals

Although it seems virtually impossible that someone will beat Alan Shearer's record of 260 Premier League goals there is a certain Wayne Rooney may come close. At just 27, Rooney has amassed 146 goals in the Premier League and his new partnership at Manchester United with fellow centurion Robin Van Persie will surely get him close by the time he calls its a day.

There are a few other players in the list currently playing however we can't expect too much movement from Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba and Robbie Keane as they are all playing abroad and Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are within the last years of their careers.

Frank Lampard could potentially move ahead of Henry to third place before he retires as he is still only 34 and therefore could have a couple of decent  years at the top level left in him. So we are left with Jermaine Defoe, Darren Bent and Robin Van Persie who seem to be the only real candidates to make it into the Top 10 before they retire.

Visit our Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League visit our site Premier League Heroes

Top Ten Christmas Gifts for Man United Fans

With over 2000 gift items on our site www.premierleaguegiftshop.co.uk there really is something for everyone whether they are Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs or in our blog today - Manchester United fans.

If you haven't got time to browse our entire website and are looking for our best selling Manchester United gifts, we have compiled a list of our 10 best selling Man United items.

1/. Manchester United Baby Bodysuits - Ultra cute, this 2 pack of bodysuits are made from 100% cotton and come in red/ black and white/ red colours - each with the current AON logo. These babygros would look fantastic on any Manchester United baby and are available in sizes from newborn to 18 months

2/. Manchester United Mini Bar Set - A great novelty gift to bring out at any party - this set contains 1 x Beer Towel, 4 x Beer Mats and 1 x Beer Glass which all feature the Manchester United logo.

3/. Manchester United Air Freshener - If you're on a budget or just want a Christmas stocking filler this is a cheap and cheerful gift which will bring a smile to any Man United fan's face.

4/. Manchester United Piggy Bank - Lovely fun item which is great for kids and adults alike. This ceramic piggy bank has a hat and scarf in the United colours on and comes in a nice gift box.

5/. Manchester United Peak Beanie Hat - Perfect for those cold winter days this knitted Beanie Hat is of course red in colour and features the club crest on the front. One size fits all so suitable for any age!

6/. Manchester United Wallet - Wallets can be so boring but our Manchester United Wallet is bright in colour and features the iconic Old Trafford stadium as a background image on it. Our most popular item for Father's Day gifts


7/. Manchester United Watch - these stylish watches fly off the shelf as they look so cool. Square faced and water resistant this watch makes a great gift for a special ocassion as it comes in a an elegant presentation box.

8/. Manchester United Mini Alarm Clock - Never be late again with this fantastic mini alarm clock - simple but smart design with the Manchester United badge in the centre

9/. Manchester United Golf Putter Grip - We sell lots of golf equipment but the Putter Grip is easily our best seller. Plain in design with the club crest at the top it does exactly what it says on the tin.

10/. Manchester United Old Trafford Single Duvet Set - A present which would delight any young Manchester United fan this single duvet set features a magnificent picture of the Old Trafford stadium. Extremely comfortable and finishes off a bedroom in style.

Visit our Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes

Party Season is nigh.......

Yes we know its only October but in 5 weeks a time we will be in December and therefore officially into Christmas Party season. With a mixture of work parties, informal get togethers and the main event itself, Christmas is the ultimate time to over indulge and have a good time.

If you are planning to host your own party this year then there are 3 things that are vital to ensure success - Preparation, Preparation and Preparation. As owners of The Premier League Gift Shop we are past masters of hosting Premier League Team parties for family, friends and even children so we feel we are very well placed to give some good advice

Here are our top tips:

* Prepare ALL food in advance. You are the host of the party - you don't want to be stuck in the kitchen for half of the night. Depending on the type of party a cold buffet always goes down well - sandwiches, pork pies, cold pizza slices, rice salad, pasta salad, normal salad - your standard party fayre. If you do have to have hot food ensure you don't burn yourself by using decent oven gloves like the Arsenal FC Oven Gloves we have within our shop.

* Party Games - No-one likes a dull party so if you do find that you are struggling a little bit to get why not get out a board game like Monopoly. We have available within our shop Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United Themed Monopoly games which instantly inject fun into a languishing evening

* Paper Plates, Cutlery and Plastic Glasses - A pretty obvious one but nonetheless often overlooked. You can buy high quality plates, cutlery and glasses from any of the big supermarkets nowadays so no excuse. If you do prefer your own glasses, mugs or plates check out our Premier League Ceramic pages for a wide range of products.

* Toilet Paper - Always make sure that there is plenty of loo roll in your toilets. You don't want to get an embarrassed guest asking you for toilet roll!!

* Clean House - Another obvious one but make sure your house is clear of clutter, put washing up away and make all the beds. Talking of beds we have a great selection of Premier League team duvets including an Arsenal FC Duvet in both double and single.

* Party Bag - Its always nice to give your guests a memento of the evening - however small. We have a number of little miscellaneous items which you can pop into a party bag within our site. Have a look at the Miscellaneous Gift Page on the Tottenham Hotspur Gift page for some ideas.

Visit www.premierleaguegiftshop.co.uk for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at www.premierleagueheroes.co.uk

CHRISTMAS IS COMING.......

With the weather on the turn and getting colder and the nights drawing in it means that we are getting ever closer to the festive period and the countdown to Christmas. For many people this is an extremely stressful period with food to buy and prepare, parties to attend and of course the whole rigmorale of battling the Christmas shoppers trying to find the perfect presents for their loved ones.

At the Premier League Gift Shop we can at least ease the burden on some of these Christmas "issues" with a fantastic range of giftware to suit any football fan. With a vast array of merchandise from 9 of the largest English Premier League teams there really is something for everyone.

For the babies in your life we have Babygrows and Sleepsuits from Arsenal FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. All of these are made from 100% cotton and represent the current kit of each team

The youngsters will love the selection of soft toys that we have including Arsenal FC Beanie Bears, Liverpool FC Mini Bears and Tottenham Hotspur Hoody Bears.

And finally, not forgetting the adults where we have a huge catalogue of various English Premier League merchandise ranging from Liverpool FC Supporter Flags to Aston Villa Tax Disc Holders to Newcastle United Caps.

We also have a section within the website for Christmas Novelty Items including Elf Hats, Christmas Tree Baubles and Christmas Gift Wrap - by visting our site you really can get Christmas (ahem!) "Wrapped Up"


Visit our Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at our sister site Premier League Heroes

NEW LOOK FOR PREMIER LEAGUE GIFT SHOP

Due to the unfounded success of the Premier League Heroes website we have decided to expand our online presence to incorporate a Premier League Gift Shop. The Premier League Gift Shop will sell official, licensed Premier League merchandise and gifts, offering a wide and diverse range of products from Tottenham Hotspur Baby Gifts to Manchester United Clothing to Liverpool Novelty Gifts. There really is something for everyone.

At this point in time we are solely concentrating on official Premier League merchandise from the following teams: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur but we may look to add a few more in the future.

We are updating the new site with new products on a daily basis and we are trying to offer our customers a variety of products which aren't freely available on the high street. Please have a browse and let us know your opinion www.premierleaguegiftshop.co.uk

We will still be blogging about various Premier League related topics but we will be incorporating product news and reviews here and there to mix it up a bit.

Visit the Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts. 

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes

HERE COME THE BELGIANS!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of talk has been made of the arrival and subsequent impact of Eden Hazard at Chelsea FC this season weighing in with 2 goals in 7 starts and numerous assists. However, Hazard is only one of a new era of Belgian players who have arrived to ply their trade in the English Premier League. Marouane Fellaini and Vincent Kompany are already established Premier League players along with Thomas Vermaelen of Arsenal who was arguably one of the best defenders in the league last season.

The success of the Belgian players in the Premier League can be attributed to their physique - Fellaini and Lukaku are both 6 ft 4" whilst Kompany, Vermaelan and Vertonghen are all over 6ft - this is a big factor in the EPL - especially for defenders who are up against huge centre forwards (Crouch, Carroll etc) week in, week out. Those who aren't tall in size make up for it in the skills department - Hazard one of the best playmakers in the league and Demebele who is one of the best players on the ball.

We take a look at the players who are currently playing for clubs in the English Premier League which will make up the nucleus of the Belgium National team on the "Road to Rio".

Thomas Vermaelen - Arsenal FC

Christian Benteke - Aston Villa FC

Thibaut Courtois - Chelsea FC (on loan to Atletico Madrid)
Kevin De Bruyne - Chelsea FC (on loan to Weder Bremen)
Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea FC (on loan to West Bromwich Albion)
Eden Hazard - Chelsea FC

Marouane Fellaini - Everton FC
Kevin Mirallas - Everton FC

Vincent Kompany - Manchester City

Simon Mignolet - Sunderland

Jan Vertonghen - Tottenham Hotspur
Moussa Dembele - Tottenham Hotspur

You can easily pick a starting eleven from these players but if you factor in Daniel Van Buyten from Bayern Munich and Axel Witsel who plays for Zenit St Petersburg you really do have a core squad of players who, on paper, look a real force in years to come.

Visit my Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts www.premierleaguegiftshop.co.uk. 

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes www.premierleagueheroes.co.uk

Manchester United's North East Connection

Whilst watching the Sunderland FA Cup game at the weekend, the commentator mentioned during the team line up's that Sunderland's entire back four were made up of former Manchester United players (Bardsley, O'Shea, Brown, Richardson). Now I think that has got to be a first for the Premier League and it got me thinking about other players, (and managers) who have moved to North East clubs from the red side of Manchester in recent years.

Current players who have moved from Manchester United to North East clubs

Kieran Richardson - Sunderland
John O'Shea - Sunderland
Frazier Campbell - Sunderland
Wes Brown - Sunderland
David Bardsley - Sunderland
Danny Welbeck - Sunderland (Loan)
Danny Simpson - Newcastle
Gabriel Obertan - Newcastle

Of course the recent connection is most likely attributed to the fact that before current manager Martin O'Neill came in the team was managed by former Man Utd player Steve Bruce and before that Roy Keane.

However the connection goes further back - to 1994 in fact when England legend Bryan Robson took charge at Middlesbrough. He brought in Viv Anderson (who also used to play for Man Utd in the Eighties), Clayton Blackmore and former Manchester United favourite Gary Pallister.

Other former Manchester United players (and managers) which have moved onto North East clubs over the years (via other clubs) include Paul Ince, Dwight Yorke, Gordon Strachan and Alan Smith.

Show your support for Manchester United with Manchester United Scarfs and Manchester United hats - both available from the Man Utd Gift Page in the Premier League Heroes Shop

Visit my Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts. For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes

New Year...New Body

December - the month of excess in every form for the majority of football fans. First off are the Christmas Parties that you have to go to where 9 times out of 10 you will end up having a Christmas Dinner and copious amounts of alcohol. The following day all you want to do is feed your hangover with junk food and soft drinks. You end up exceeding your month's recommended calorie intake in 2 days and this is all before the proper festivities begin.

Next up is Christmas Eve. If you're unfortunate to be at work there will always be someone who brings in cakes and chocolates (normally Cadbury's Heroes as they are on offer in all of the main supermarkets). If you're off work then the session normally starts in the early afternoon and carries right through to midnight. Kebabs or burgers are the food of choice as you stumble into Christmas Day. This is where it goes completely wrong. The one time of year that it is OK to be drunk by 10am starts off with Cava and smoked salmon blinis for breakfast followed by Pringles, Twiglets and crisps mid morning to tide you over until the main event which will be dished up at 2pm. Christmas Dinner with all of the trimmings is demolished and you plonk yourself down on the sofa feeling like a pregnant cow. You promise yourself that in the New Year you are going to cut down on excessive eating and drinking and start to exercise however you have the Boxing Day match to go to which will entail more drinking and pie eating. With a game 2 days later and another drinking and eating session you really have had enough!!

So, what do you do? Get fit and make a change. New gym memberships go through the roof in January as people look to regain their fitness so if you are one of these gym "noobies" you will need some gym gear. We offer a range of products that can you make you look the part as you embark on your quest for fitness.

We supply drinks bottles in a range of team colour and designs, from official Chelsea FC Aluminium Drinks Bottles to official Aston Villa Plastic Drinks Bottles. We also offer official team gym bags - these are available in Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Liverpool designs. Have a browse and good luck!

Visit my Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes

Tottenham Go Marching On!!!!!!!!!!!

The game in hand against Everton has finally been played with a magnificent 2-0 victory to the Spurs. In previous years Tottenham have had a bit of a torrid time against the Toffees so there was a little trepidation before the game. With Sandro, Parker, King, Gallas and long term absentee Tom Huddlestone all out, this was a Spurs team that shows that they have strength in depth by bringing back Dawson from a long term injury and Livermore to fill the gap vacated by Parker, and then Sandro. An all round great performance by the team which now leaves them 3 points behind leaders Manchester City and level on points with Manchester United.

So, can Tottenham maintain this good form? I believe so but they do need cover in defence as they only have Kaboul and Dawson fit at the moment with Bassong as back up. Dawson has only just come back after a 4 month layoff and is obviously not 100% match fit and King and Gallas are constantly in and out of the treatment room. With a tough run of games in the next six weeks which include Man Utd, City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle they need to keep injuries to a minimum and bring in a top class defender like Christopher Samba for example.

There will be huge celebrations if Spurs can capture a Champions League spot let alone winning the title and we have a couple of products in our Tottenham Shop page which will be perfect for the celebrations.

First off you can toast their success with your favourite beer in this fantastic Tottenham Hotspur Stainless Steel Tankard  and then to save getting water marks on the table and getting shouted at by the wife you can place your beverage on these cool Tottenham Hotspur Glass Coasters. We have a range of Official Tottenham Hotspur gifts on our website so please have a browse.

Visit my Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes

The NEW Premier League Heroes Shop

www.shop.premierleagueheroes.co.uk

Due to the unfounded success of the Premier League Heroes website we have decided to expand our online presence to incorporate a Premier League Shop. The Premier League Shop will sell official, licensed Premier League merchandise and gifts, offering a wide and diverse range of products from Chelsea Garden Gnomes to Manchester United Dog Shirts to Liverpool Inflatable Chairs. There really is something for everyone.

At this point in time we are solely concentrating on official Premier League merchandise from the following teams: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur but we may look to add a few more in the future.

We are updating the new site with new products on a daily basis and we are trying to offer our customers a variety of products which aren't freely available on the high street. Please have a browse and let us know your opinion www.shop.premierleagueheroes.co.uk

We will still be blogging about various Premier League related topics but we will be incorporating product news and reviews here and there to mix it up a bit.

Visit my Premier League Shop for all your Official Premier League Team Merchandise and Gifts.

For information and statistics on legends of the Premier League take a look at Premier League Heroes