My Magazine work - The XY Magazine

My assignment for Advanced Magazine Design & Production at uni:

Front Cover

The double page pull-out in the middle. A 2011 sporting calendar.

Pages 50-53, Reviews in the Entertainment section.

The Weird & Wonderful section. Pages 68-69

When Green turned Red - England Underway

England's World Cup Finals campaign got underway last night against the USA at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in South Africa, and it will be one to forget for West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green, after a horrendous mistake which ultimately cost his team three points.
One to forget for Green, but click here to remind yourself of how England's perfect start was ruined.

Green was Fabio Capello's preferred choice to start in goal for England in the opening game, but the Italian tactician will surely consider his goalkeeping options for the next game, when a routine save went horribly wrong for the Hammers keeper. A Clint Dempsey shot, which should have been a comfortable save, was spilt into the goal by Green in an awkward fashion. An unsightly goalkeeping howler and one said to have been 'lamented' by England captain Steven Gerrard.

The Three Lions started with purpose and were off to a flyer when Gerrard was put through on goal by Emile Heskey's clever through ball. The Liverpool skipper and now captain of his country, converted with ease in the 3rd minute to put England one up over the Americans, and eased the nerves of an expectant nation.

Capello decided to start with two wingers in James Milner on the left, and Aaron Lennon on the right, leaving the partnership of Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the middle. Aston Villa's Milner was suffering from illness before the game and after picking up a booking for a lazy foul in the 15th minute, was quickly substituted for Shaun Wright-Phillips. Clearly Capello wasn't going to take a risk by leaving the 24 year old on, but critics would argue it was a risk to start him if he hasn't been feeling well, and with the likes of Joe Cole and Wright-Phillips originally left out, one might wonder why he did start.

Having stolen an early lead, England soon settled into the game, but at stages it seemed they were all too happy to sit back on their one goal advantage. Team USA were proving to be a difficult force to break down and showed glimpses of danger when going forward but didn't prove to be clinical in their finishing. Some might say they set out to play spoiling tactics and to frustrate their superior opposition.

The American's persistence payed off five minutes before half time when Dempsey twisted and turned with Gerrard, before unleashing what some would describe as a relatively tame shot, straight at the keeper. However, this is England in the World Cup, and the curse of the English keeper returned, this time haunting poor old Rob Green. The England no.12 awkwardly failed to save the shot, turning the ball into the back of his own net. The ball spun furiously off of his arm and as he flapped at the 'Jabulani', his attempts to save himself from utter embarrassment only made the whole sequence look worse. Dempsey and Team USA couldn't believe their luck. For Green, he might have been thinking his luck had just run out.

The second half provided no winner, however there were a number of occasions where there might have been. The best of England's opportunities came from Emile Heskey, who had one of his better performances in an England shirt. The Villa forward was put clean through on goal from Lennon's pass, but his finish was clearly that of a striker who hasn't scored since February. The USA keeper Tim Howard came out quickly and Heskey's shot was hit straight at him. A goal for Heskey would have been the perfect reward for his otherwise solid performance, having created a goal and been on terrific form until substituted for Peter Crouch late on.

USA almost stole the lead when Jose Altidore got past Ledley King's replacement, Jamie Carragher, but saw his shot from close range being saved onto the post, as Rob Green shows the world that he is worthy of playing in a World Cup. Whether this save redeems Green of his previous blunder is up to you, but he did prevent all three points being lost.

Having drawn the opening game in 1966, the omens are yet on our side. Capello will be hard at work ironing out the mistakes and gearing the team up for their next tie against Algeria on Friday. Ledley King, who only made it to half time last night, will miss the next game through injury.

In a post match interview, the England captain Steven Gerrard talked of how the whole team are supporting Rob Green and how they are fully behind the goalkeeper. On last night's performance, that sounds like the best place to be!

The omens are with us, England still expects! Come on England!!

The World Cup - A Time of Hope

After four years of waiting, the most eagerly anticipated sporting event on the planet is underway. The Fifa World Cup, this year hosted for the first time on the African continent, in South Africa, promises to be a marvelous spectacle and as Nelson Mandela said in a special message in the opening ceremony, it brings hope to the nation with it's painful history.

Since his release from prison in 1990, Nelson Mandela has inspired a change in South African society, encouraging racial integration, labeling his country as the Rainbow Nation, and the World Cup will help to bring the country together and also improve the lives of many South Africans.

South Africa has met the deadlines and demands of the World Cup by building brand new stadiums and improving infrastructure in healthcare, security and transport and the preparation has provided jobs to many. The World Cup will be a positive boost for the economy of South Africa and will provide a lasting legacy for all of Africa. 

Africa seems like the perfect place to host a World Cup. The passion, colours, sounds and excitement are portrayed on such a large scale and it is clear to see the unity and happiness created through the love and excitement of football. Although the much talked about crime rate in South Africa, the locals have overshadowed that gloomy reputation by welcoming fans from across the world with a warm heart, and the friendly, excitable true spirit of Africa. For South Africa, the World Cup is not just about the football, it's about moving forward as a country, from their troubled past.


For a total of 64 football matches, and a whole month, the global spotlight is very much on South Africa and the continent will be hoping that this is the first of many tournaments to be held in Africa.

End of an Era - Who will be Rafa's successor?

Following the departure of Rafael Benitez from Liverpool, club legend Kenny Dalglish is stepping up his search to find the next in line for one of the most illustrious jobs in football.


Benitez was at the helm of the Merseyside club for six years and after leaving by mutual consent only last week, he has now taken up the vacant post of head coach of Inter Milan. The 50 year old Spaniard parted company with the reds after a bitterly disappointing season in the 09/10 campaign. Benitez will be remembered for winning the Champions League in his first season in charge of the Reds, but he failed to deliver what the fans crave the most, the title of the English Premier League.


The last man to win a league title for Liverpool is the club's current academy ambassador and former player and manager, Kenny Dalglish.  The 59 year old has been put in charge of finding a suitable replacement for Benitez, but the Scot has been heavily touted to take the reigns himself.


Dalglish is amongst the fans favourites to steer the team back to the top of English football, but top of King Kenny's list sits a familiar face in Roy Hodgson.  The current Fulham boss just had a successful season taking his side all the way to the Europa League final and his managing credentials and success in Europe are attractive to any top flight club. Hodgson, now 60, has previously managed such teams as Inter Milan, Blackburn Rovers and Udinese, and also coached Switzerland in the 1994 World Cup finals, helping them through to the last 16 for the first time in 34 years.


I personally think Hodgson could be a worthy Liverpool manager and he could use his expertise and experience to propel the Reds back into the top four, and back into winning ways. I think a British duo of Hodgson and Dalglish working together would be an ideal combination. The two of them working side by side would see an exciting blend of experience, tactical genius, knowing what the fans want and getting the best out of the players.


Other managers who have been highlighted as potential replacements to Benitez include Aston Villa's Martin O'Neil, Louis Van Gaal, Guus Hiddink, Harry Redknapp, Mark Hughes and a certain Sven Goran Eriksson also popped up on the list.


Meanwhile Liverpool Football Club still remain up or sale as Chairman Nigel Broughton continues his search to find the club new owners and some much needed investment.

For Sale: Football Club with Great History and Passionate Fans

After building up a debt of over £237million for Liverpool F.C, current owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have ‘thought it best’ to sell the club.

The decision to put the club up for sale comes after three miserable years under the ownership of the two clueless American businessmen, but at least they had fun destroying the club’s finances;

"Owning Liverpool Football Club over these past three years has been a rewarding and exciting experience for us and our families”. (Quote from BBC Sport)

A self-confessed Chelsea fan and owner of British Airways, Martin Broughton has been brought in to help Liverpool find a buyer.  Broughton will use his expertise to manage Liverpool’s finances and has stated he will find a new owner for the club within the next few months.  A Chelsea fan helping out Liverpool in their time of crisis, whatever next?

Over the last five years the Premier League seems to have been a playground for rich American tycoons and they’ve proved extremely unpopular, and unsuccessful in owning their clubs. 

The Glazer family took over Manchester United in 2005 for £800million and have since raked up a debt of £700million for the club.  Then along came Gillett and Hicks, a pair of 'good old boy' Americans with a spare £435million to inject into Liverpool.  They promised a new stadium, but in three years the only thing they have brought to the club is considerable debt.

The two Liverpool owners brought a sense of turmoil within the club when Hicks blocked Gillett’s effort to sell his 50% share to the Dubai International Capital group (DIC) in 2008.  Hicks turned down a potential £500million investment from the DIC because he was planning to buy the club outright himself.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez then fell out with the board because he wasn’t getting enough money to spend on transfers, and its showed during the this season that there is a lot of unrest behind the scenes.  Liverpool are having their worst season under Benitez and are struggling to achieve fourth place.  If Liverpool do fail to reach the final Champions League spot then their value will depreciate significantly and it could prove harder to find a buyer.

Liverpool F.C and its fans deserve an owner that will keep to their promises and provide enough money for transfers and a new stadium to take the club forward. It's not just the fans who want to see more quality players wearing the red shirt, star striker Fernando Torres has spoken publically about how he wants the club to make several big signings in the summer.  I'd love to see the likes of David Silva, David Villa and Sergio Aguero being the new team mates of Torres and Gerrard.

In a season of disappointment and underachieving, there is finally some positive news coming out of Anfield.  Gillett and Hicks are at long last selling the club and now Liverpool can look forward to good things to come in the near future.

Will these two ever play together in club football?

Who will walk with Rooney and the Three Lions?

With just under two months to go until the World Cup, Fabio Capello must be whittling down his list of strikers to accompany Wayne Rooney in attack.

Providing Rooney keeps free of any nightmare injuries from now until June, his seat is very safe on the plane to South Africa. He’s scored 26 league goals in 29 appearances and been in the form of his life. If Rooney plays well in South Africa, then England will play well. His power on the ball, ability to pick out a pass, shooting ability and teamwork is on another level and he is passionate about playing for his country. Are England better when Rooney’s on his own up front with Gerrard supporting as a second striker from behind, or can we get more out of Wayne when he has a designated strike partner?

Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey has, for a while, been Fabio Capello’s favoured option. Capello believes that Heskey offers experience and some say he gets the best out of Rooney. Heskey’s a valuable asset for the team if he can increase the performance of another player, but I am more concerned about his lack of goals in the Premier League this season.

Surely what England need is another front man that can score goals. Jermain Defoe has scored 17 goals so far this season and is a likely candidate to go to South Africa. He possesses good pace and a deadly finish, and would be a useful sub to bring on due to his predatory instincts in front on goal. However his ability to work with Rooney may not be as promising as his Tottenham teammate, Peter Crouch.

The 6 ft 6¾ forward has the ability to hold up the ball and nod down lethal passes to Rooney’s path and he can also cause opposition back lines a nightmare as they simply haven’t come up against a striker of Crouch’s nature before. Crouch has a sublime touch and is extremely good with the ball at his feet for a player that looks awkward. He’s a proven goal scorer for England, scoring twice in the last friendly against Egypt, and I think the gangly goal getter has what it takes to don the three lions in June.


Other noteworthy candidates are Carlton Cole, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Bobby Zamora and once a dead cert for England, Michael Owen.

West Ham may have been struggling this season but one man that has called out for a place in the England team is the Hammer’s number 12. Carlton Cole is a strong, versatile front man and due to his similar abilities, I can see Cole being a good replacement to Emile Heskey. However, Cole hasn’t played many games at International level, and it could be too much of a gamble to go with an inexperienced player.


That brings me on to Aston Villa’s pacey forward, Gabriel Agbonlahor. Gabby’s been on good form this season and has bagged 14 goals in all competitions. His electric pace could be a useful weapon when we’re struggling in extra time, but having made only 3 appearances for England, he doesn’t posses the experience at this level; he’ll be another useful substitute without doubt.

Bobby Zamora is finishing the season in emphatic style, showing his case as to why he should go to the World Cup. Zamora has been key to Fulham’s good form of late and their success in the Europa League. He scored an exquisite goal in just 28 seconds against Wolfsburg to put his team through to the semi finals and that was just an example of his expert finishing. Zamora has pulled his weight in the Premier League, but it could prove as a wildcard if he was selected, as there isn’t much time for him to settle in to the team. I’d like to see him play in the friendly against Mexico to see if he’s up for international football.

Last on my list of candidates would have been the injury prone Michael Owen. The United number 7 has been a vital member of the England team in the past, but hasn’t cut the mustard in recent times. Owen has vast experience of playing in big tournaments so would have been a useful asset to the team if he hadn't ruptured his hamstring, so there's no chance he'll score a goal like the one against Argentina in ’98.

My favourite for the position would have to be Peter Crouch, have your say below.

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