Wrexham AFC. The Red Dragons and Deadpool team up

 Wrexham AFC

The Red Dragons and Deadpool team up

Team's logo

Wrexham AFC may not be too notorious, but it has a rich history. Founded in 1864, the club is the oldest football team in Wales and the third oldest professional association football team in the world. Now in terms of honors, Wrexham won 23 Welsh Cups, an all-time record, Football League trophy in 2005 and FA trophy in 2013. Additionally, the club reached the quater-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup in the 1975-1976 season and they famously beat Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup in 1992. However, they never played in the first echelon of the English Football League. Now, you may ask yourself, what's the connection between this small Welsh team and a Marvel Comics character? Well, let me explain.

When you realize that this guy is your new owner

In 2020, Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds, who played the role of Deadpool in three different movies and Rob McElhenney acquired the club in a surprise move that stunned the football world. The duo purchased the club from the Wrexham Supporters Trust, a fan-owned organization that had been running the club since 2011. Reynolds and McElhenney's acquisition of Wrexham A.F.C. began with a tweet in which they expressed their interest in buying a football club. After receiving a flood of responses from fans and football clubs around the world, they decided to focus their efforts on Wrexham. The purchase was completed in February 2021, with Reynolds and McElhenney committing to investing in the club and helping to take it to new heights. Since then, the duo has made various statements about their plans for the club, including the desire to build a new training ground and improve the stadium. The purchase of Wrexham A.F.C. by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has brought international attention to the club, and many are excited to see what the future holds for one of the world's oldest football teams.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney

At the end of this season, Wrexham got promoted to the EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football system. So, if everything goes well, the club will be able to be in Premier League within 3 years. By the way, Ryan and Rob also released a TV series called '' Welcome to Wrexham'', which I believe is available on Disney Plus and Netflix. Do not ask me for any review because I have not watched it yet😂.

Wembley Stadium. 100 years of football. A century of immortal stories

Wembley Stadium

100 years of football

A century of immortal stories 

Yep, Wembley Stadium officially became a century old stadium. By comparison, queen Elisabeth II, God rests her soul, died at the age of 96. But, what is the story behind this impressive arena? I am going to unfold it today. 

Old Wembley 

The stadium was built in 1923. It took 300 days to be built and with a total cost of 750.000 pounds Makes you wonder how much the inflation has destroyed the purchasing parity of the British pound over the last century, doesn't it? Anyway, King George V had the honor to cut the turf on 28th of April. On the same day, the stadium held its first major event: 1923 FA Cup final between Bolton and West Ham. The former beat the latter 2-0, but there is another thing which made this final memorable. It is not exactly clear how many people attended the final, with some sources claiming that there were between 120.000 and 150.000 spectators. After the victory, Bolton's supporters invaded the pitch. As a result, mounted policeman were called to clear the area. 

Police clearing the Wembley pitch. The white horse named ''Billie'' became a symbol of that day

But, the real purpose of this stadium was not holding sport events. It was designed for the 1924-1925 British Empire Exhibition. Actually, the original name of the stadium was ''Empire Stadium''.  Apart from domestic cups finals, Wembley had the honor the host 1966 WC in which England defeated W. Germany 4-2, thus becoming world champions, Euro 1996 and Euro 2020 finals. Additionally, Wembley have hosted 1948 London Olympics, 2 European Cup Winners Cup finals and 7 UEFA Champions League finals, while the 8th is about to take place next year in 2024. I think I should look for some tickets.😂

The iconic photo in which English captain Bobby Moore is carried on the shoulders of his teammates lifting the WC trophy in 1966

Eventually, the old stadium was demolished from 2002 to 2003, and it was replaced with the new venue called ''New Wembley'' which was inaugurated in 2007. The new arena has a total capacity of 90.000 seats, being the 2nd largest football stadium in Europe, after Camp Nou, and the largest one in the UK. Ooh, and as a matter of fact this arena cost 750 million pounds. Yep, inflation is a silent killer of your savings😂.

New Wembley

 EFL Cup

EFL Cup trophy

Founded in 1960, it has a lower prestige than the FA Cup and Premier League. The tournament has a very simple structure: there are 7 rounds, with single legs ties throughout, except for the semi-finals. The final is held at the Wembley Stadium, which it will celebrate 100 years of existence tomorrow 28th April 2023. This is the only tie which is played on a weekend day, the other rounds being scheduled during the week. The competition commences in August and finishes in February next year. The current title holder is Manchester United which beat Newcastle United in the final act 2-0. As a result, the winners are granted a place in the next UEFA Conference League season. Overall, Liverpool is the most successful club with 9 titles, followed by Manchester City with 8 trophies. I would like to mention the fact that Man. City has won 6 of them over the last decade. 

Manchester United lifting the EFL Cup in 2023

Manchester City. From zeros to heroes

Manchester City

From zeros to heroes

Nicknamed ''the Citizens'', the team was formed in 1880 as St. Mark's(West Gordon). In 1894, it was renamed Manchester City.

A photo from 1884 of St. Mark's 

In 1904, the team won its first major trophy, the FA Cup, followed by the first First Division title in 1937. On European level, City managed to win the Cup Winners Cup in 1970, now a defunct competition. Unfortunately, the club saw a period of decline in the 1980's and 1990's, relegating to the 3rd tier of English football in 1998. Since 2002, City has managed to remain in the top division of English football.

The Manchester City squad after winning the FA Cup in 1904

In 2008, Abu Dhabi United Group, a private equity company from UAE, purchased Manchester City. This was the turning point in the history of the club. In 2012, the team made the unthinkable and won its first Premier League title. In the last match of the season, City faced QPR and needed a victory to secure the title. The final result was 3-2, the winning goal being scored by Sergio Aguero in 93:20 minute, thus winning Premier League against Manchester United, their archrivals.

City plays its matches on Etihad Stadium. With a total capacity of 53.400 seats, the stadium is the 6th largest in England and the 10th largest in the UK. 

Etihad Stadium

Today, the club is managed by Pep Guardiola and it has one of the most valuable and powerful squads among Premier League teams. 

 

 Manchester United F.C

Nicknamed as the ''The Red Devils'', the club was founded in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by the workers of Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways. In 1902, due to financial problems, the team was on the verge of bankruptcy. Fortunately, John Henry Davies, a wealthy businessman, agreed to invest in the club and renamed it Manchester United. 

In 1908, United won the its first trophy: the First Division, the precursor of the current Premier League, followed by the FA Cup in 1909. In 1910, Old Trafford, the club's homeground, was inaugurated. 

Old Trafford

The stadium is the second largest football venue in the UK, after Wembley, and the 11th largest football venue in Europe, and it has hosted important football fixtures such as 2003 UEFA Champions League Final. Now, some information about its former managers and players.

Notable managers:

• Matt Busby (1945-1969), the first English manager to win the European Cup. Young players promoted by him at the first team earned the nickname ''Busby Babes''
• Sir Alex Ferguson (1986-2013), credited also for promoting young talents especially in the 1990's with the notorious ''Class of 92''

Notable players:

• Bobby Charlton
• Denis Law
• George Best
• David Beckham
• Wayne Rooney
• Ryan Giggs
• Paul Scholes
• Roy Keane
• Cristiano Ronaldo/CR7

 The FA Cup

The FA Cup trophy

This weekend were the semi-finals in the 2022/23 FA Cup season. In the first match Manchester City defeated Sheffield United 3-0, whereas Manchester United and Brighton&Hove needed penalty shoot-outs after 120 minutes in which neither team managed to score. Eventually, the ''Red Devils'', as the United team is nicknamed, won 7-6. I know right, you would expect this score in tennis😂😂😂. So, there we have it. Both teams from Manchester will meet on Wembley on June 3rd for the grand final. Ok, back to our main topic. How old is this competition?

Well, the first edition was played in 1871 when to monarch of the UK was queen Victoria. As a comparison, the first World Cup edition was played in 1930. Wanderers F.C was to the first club to win the trophy after beating Royal Engineers in the final. Morton Betts scored the only goal. Following this outstanding performance, the team managed to win 4 more FA Cups, before being dissolved in the 1880's.

Morton Betts

A photo of the Wanderers F.C.

Now, some interesting facts and statistics about the competition:

• Most successful club: Arsenal (14 trophies)
• Biggest win in a final: 6 (Bury-Derby County 6-0 in 1903 and Man. City-Watford 6-0 in 2019. I saw the second match btw. It was incredible)
• Most goals in a final: 7 (Blackburn Rovers-Sheffield Wednesday 6-1 in 1890 and Blackpool-Bolton 4-3 in 1953) 
• Player with most FA Cup trophies: Ashley Cole (7)
• All-time goalscorer: Harry Cursham (44 goals scored between 1877-1888)

Saint George's Day

Today, all Christians celebrate Saint George's Day. Saint George is one of the most prominent Biblical figure, well-known for his legend in which he slain the dragon. I guess this is the inspiration for all those cheesy medieval legends in which a powerful, good looking knight kills the beast, saves the princess, marries her and live happily ever after. Now back to our story, who was the real Saint George and why is he so important for Christianity?

Byzantine icon of Saint George

Saint George's date of birth is unknown. He was born around the end of the 3rd century in the Roman province of Cappadocia, modern-day Turkey. From a young age he joined to ranks of the Roman legions, becoming a well trained soldier and a very capable commander. It is said that at some point he was assigned to the famous Pretorian Guards, the personal bodyguards of the Roman emperor. Unfortunately, the emperor was no other than Diocletian, well known for his persecutions against Christians. After he found out that George was a Christian too, he had him arrested and attempted to make him abandon his religion and faith in God. In spite of all the torture he endured, George refused to convert himself to the Roman pagan religion. As a result, he was sentenced to death and beheaded on the 23rd of April. Over the centuries, Saint George was depicted as a warrior saint. During the Crusades, his image appeared on the banners of the Christian army. Later, during the ''Hundred Years War'', a series of military conflicts between France and England which lasted from 1337 to 1453, king Edward 3rd adopted the Saint George's cross on his Royal Standard, thus becoming the patron of England.

Saint George's cross

Edward 3rd' Royal Standard

Furthermore, the Order of the Garter, one of the oldest order of chivalry established by the same king Edward 3rd, has Saint George as his spiritual patron. The order is still active today, and it is the most senior order of knighthood in the United Kingdom.

Badge of the Order of the Garter 

Scotland-a magical place. Part.4. Burke and Hare

Scotland-a magical place

part.4

 Burke and Hare 

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog. Previously, we talked about how Edinburgh, thanks to some prestigious anatomists such as Robert Knox, became the leading center of Europe in medicine, earning its nickname as the ''Athens of the North''. But, the lack of corpses available for dissection forced these remarkable scientists to rely on black market to supply themselves with fresh dead bodies. However, there were not just the body snatchers and doctors who took advantage of this underground business. Today, I am going to talk about the murders committed by the two most famous criminals in the history of Scotland, Burke and Hare, and their connection with the world of science.

            Hare                                                                                             Burke

William Burke and William Hare, although they are not related, were both Irish immigrants who moved to Scotland, looking for a better life. Shortly after they met, Burke and his wife moved into Hare's lodging house. In November 1827, a lodger in Hare's house died of dropsy without paying his rent. In order to get his money back, Hare, advised by Burke, decided to sell the corpse to a local anatomist, no other than the aforementioned Rober Knox.

Robert Knox

Knox was so pleased by this new ''acquisition'' he had made that he allegedly asked our two Irish gentlemen if they had more corpses. Therefore, Burke and Hare started a series of killings, between 1827 and 1828, in which 16 people were killed and sold for money to Mr. Knox. What can I say? Very ethical doc. Now back to our main villains, their modus operandi was quite simple: lodgers who decide to stay in Hare's house were their targets who were killed either by suffocation or intoxication. Eventually, they were apprehended by the police 3 days they had murdered their last victim, and they were put on trial. To avoid prosecution, Hare decided to testify against Burke, thus being granted immunity. The outcome was a little bit obvious: Burke was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. He was hanged on 28th of January 1829. Hare was released from prison and vanished from history for good. Robert Knox never faced any criminal charges, but his connection with 2 serial killer damaged his reputation considerably.

Scotland-a magical place. part.3. Anatomy, corpses, and body snatchers

 Scotland-a magical place

part.3

Anatomy, corpses, and body snatchers

University of Edinburgh

In the early 19th century, several anatomy teachers like Alexander Monro and Robert Knox, brought a great contribution to this field. Their research made Edinburgh one of the leading centres in Europe of anatomical study. But, and there is a but, anatomy required a very important resource: corpses. Back in the 1800's Scotland there was a scarcity of cadavres because the law allowed only corpses of the convicts who died in prison, suicide victims and orphans to be dissected. As a result, a new ''profession'' began to be very popular popular: body snatching.

Body snatchers or should I say ''men at work''? 

Grave robbery was criminal offence in Scotland, but stealing a corpse from its own tomb was not because the corpse belonged to nobody. With that being said, a black market of cadavres emerged and flourished over the next years. Many anatomists relied on this bands to supply them with fresh corpses for their academic research. In order to mitigate the issue, people started to secure the graves of their passed loved ones.

A watchtower in a cemetery

 

A mortcage built over the grave

These 2 images present the main techniques to deter grave robbers and trust me, I was in 3 different historical cemeteries in Edinburgh. The majority of the tombs had this kind of cages so you can image how big of a social issue this was. Well, with that being said, this is the end of this blog. The next one will be the final of my trip to Edinburgh. I hoped you like it, and I will see you next time. 

Scotland-a magical place
Part.2
Edinburgh vaults

Edinburgh vaults

Also known as the South Bridge Vaults, their story is quite fascinating and spooky. Between the 17th and the 18th century, Edinburgh experienced a demographic boom. As a result, the city became overcrowded and it had to deal with a house shortage. To solve the problem, the British Parliament passed the South Bridge Act of 1785. Eventually, a series of chambers were built within the arches of the South Bridge over the next decades.

A map of the vaults

Their main purpose was housing taverns, workshops and craftsmen. Nevertheless, it became a good place for homeless people and outlaws. Additionally, there are records in which is mentioned that body snatchers used to store corpses overnight in the vaults. However, by the 19th century, the vaults had been abandoned by the majority of its residents because of the poor hygiene conditions and there were occupied entirely by the poorest people of Edinburgh. Today, they are open to visitors and tourists and there are some rumors of paranormal activity happening there. But these are just some cheap superstitions, right?👻👻👻

 Scotland-a magical place

National flag of Scotland

To begin with, Scotland is not an independent state, but a constituent country of the United Kingdom, along with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. During the middle ages the kingdoms of Scotland and England were in a continuous state of war. Despite the fact that Scotland fought 2 wars of independence in the 13th and 14th century against the English, eventually they both united in 1707 when the 2 parties signed the Act of Union, thus establishing the United Kingdom. Even though they tried to get their independence once again in the 2014 referendum, the Scottish people said NO. Then the Brexit came in 2016 and we all know what happened😂😂😂.

Scotland as a part of the UK

Back to our story, I will talk about my first trip to Scotland in this blog. It was in the summer of 2020. The first Covid-19 lockdowns had ended May in my country and I decided to book a trip. I did not choose Scotland for a specific reason to be honest. So, I chose to visit Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland even though I thought that Glasgow was the capital. It would seem that I need to refresh my knowledge of geography😂😂😂. Anyway, Edinburgh is the historical capital of former medieval kingdom of Scotland, founded in the 7th century AD. The most important tourist attraction is, without a doubt, the Edinburgh Castle.

The Edinburgh Castle

Located on a plug of an extinct volcano named Castle Rock, probably that was the inspiration for the famous Casterly Rock for G.R.R. Martin in his book Game of Thrones, the castle dominates the landscape of the city. Built in the 10th century this is the former residence of the Scottish kings like Robert the Bruce or Mary of Scots. The castle is connected with Old Town via Royal Mile, a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the city. If at one end of the route we find the aforementioned castle, at the opposite end we will find the Holyrood Palace or the Holyroodhouse.

Holyrood Palace

Its construction started in the 16th century and soon it became the main resident of all monarchs of Scotland thus decreasing the importance of the Edinburgh Castle which would be used for military purposes. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to visit these two historical sites, but I promise to do it next time.

 A visit to Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford is a market town nearby Birmingham, in the West Midland region of England. Its population is around 30 thousand people, but nevertheless a very nice and full of life area. Ok, maybe some people are asking themselves, what's the deal with this location? Well, my dear friends, this is the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

I have always been fascinated by Shakespeare. I studied him in high school, and I consider his work one of the most interesting texts written in English during the middle Ages, like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, along with the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. Frankly, the whole city of Stratford is built around the cult of this incredible writer and I am not exaggerating when I am saying this. I had the chance to visit his memorial house. It is located in the middle of city Old Centre. I had no idea that his house was so stylish, based on the 16th century standards of course, but it was. 

Shakespeare's memorial house

Additionally, another tourist attraction I had no idea about was the Holy Trinity Church. This is the place where our hero was baptized, got married and was also buried. I know right, it certainly played a major role in his life.

Holy Trinity Church of Stratford-upon-Avon

The church, located on the bank of river Avon, was built in 1210, but the first mention of a place of worship dates back to the 8th century during Anglo-Saxon England. In my opinion, it is a little bit paradoxical that such a great writer is buried in such a small location, but this might have been his last wish, which is way I consider this place to have been very special for Shakespeare. Now about the church itself, it is very well preserved for its age. I had some kind of a culture shock to see that it had automatic doors, you would never see that in my country. Ooh, and one more thing, it costs 4 pounds to see Shakespeare's grave, but it worth.

The Holy Trinity Bust of Shakespeare on wall of church above Shakespeare’s grave 

Shakespeare's grave