There is a very strong expectation that the final at The Stoop next Sunday will be sold out - so do not delay buying your tickets, and certainly do not expect that you will be able to turn up on the day. All seats in the main stands have already gone, with just the stands behind the posts remain to be filled - and they seem to be about half sold already. Annoyingly you do have to go through Ticketmaster (see link above, or ring 0844 2774321) who add also sorts of extra booking fees and service charges on top, but the cost is still pretty good considering that you will see two matches, and the atmosphere should be amazing. Play for the first game - the third place match - will start at 3pm.Tickets for the semi-finals on Wednesday are still in good supply it seems, so you may be able to...

As the Octopus predicted Spain won 1 - 0 over the Netherlands in an, at times, uninspiring final of the World Cup having scored eight goals in seven matches. At other times we saw the kind of fighting display that only the likes of Cantona and Zidane would normally treat us to.We had the fan, obviously having overdosed on vuvuzela juice attempting to rush the "cup" itself.Then we had the play itself which was, at times, hair raising. The British ref had his yellow card out so often he was considering not putting it away again. I counted 13 yellow cards and one red, although I might be off there. I wonder if this is a record for Cup final?But though they marched into the valley of death the Spanish team triumphed, bruised and unbeaten, to much cheering from some and horror from others....

The former police officer from Rotherham, Howard Webb, has been one of 10 referees detained in South Africa by FIFA, so they can decide which officiating team will be part of the World Cup final. Webb and his two officials, Darren Cann and Michael Mullarkey, have been kept in South Africa and are awaiting FIFA’s decision. Two of Webb’s main rivals for the final, Uzbekistan’s Ravshan Irmatov and Hungary’s Viktor Kassai, will officiate the semi-finals between Uruguay vs Holland and Spain vs Germany. This gives Webb a distinct advantage, as refereeing a semi-final genuinely means that the referees in question would miss out on final consideration. Webb and his colleagues haven’t put a foot wrong in the tournament so far. His assistant Darren Cann correctly ruled out a Fabio...

Usually we have the final ratings of an episode out 10 days after it airs; since Doctor Who plays on a Saturday, this means it will play two Mondays later. Today we should have had the final ratings for "The Pandorica Opens". The Doctor Who News Page puts it well as to why we do not have them. And just after I reviewed the episode, too . . .Final ratings data for the BBC One showing of Doctor Who, Episode twelve The Pandorica Opens, has been delayed due to data processing problems at BARB. The final data is now not expected for several days, and will appear on the news page as soon as it is available.However final data for BBC HD is available and it gives the HD showing of The Pandorica Opens a final rating of 635,000 viewers. This is the highest rating ever achieved by BBC HD.Here is the...

Stuart Heritage sizes up the acts that made it through the first semi-final – and the gems that tragically didn't make the cutIn pictures: the semi-final dress rehearsalsAfter a full year of desperate, feverish anticipation (look, just go with it, OK?), the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest finally kicked off last night with its first semi-final. Chances are you don't realise how important the semi-finals are. As one of the Big Four countries, the UK doesn't bother with them at all – it simply waltzes into the final with all the misplaced confidence of an out-of-shape Wimbledon seed.But if it wasn't for the Eurovision semis, we'd have to endure 39 songs in Saturday's Eurovision final instead of a mere 25. Thirty-nine genuinely awful songs, all in a row, half of them cack-handedly trying to...

If you remember back to the weekend, we wrote about the Google Nexus One getting Android 2.2 over the air. Towards the end of the day it appeared that not many users were getting it. Also it seemed like those who got it were all using review models.Later on that day a public download was spotted that allowed users to grab and install it manually. We now hear that the build released late last week wasn't a final build.The information comes from a Google [GOOG] employee called Ry Guy who said the new version spotted over the weekend isn't the official release. For those who have already upgraded to the latest build over the weekend, you'll still get another OTA update when the final version is ready.Google is working hard to get the final OTA update ready as quickly as possible. It is...

The 2010 Champions League Final featuring Inter Milan against Bayern Munich drew a 1.1 overnight rating on the Fox Network. How does that compare to last year’s final on ESPN? The 2009 Final, which was shown on a Wednesday afternoon, drew a 1.0 rating. So, in comparison, Fox’s rating is a disappointment. That said, you have to consider which teams played last year — Barcelona and Manchester United, two of the biggest clubs in the world. Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are big too, but they’re not in the same league as the Red Devils and Barca. On Saturday afternoon, Fox had competition from other sports in terms of attracting viewers. The match was shown at the same time as Game four of the Flyers against Canadiens NHL Eastern Conference Final, which drew 1.6 on NBC. The third...

Ladies and gentlemen, this is it. Although there are no English clubs in the Champions League Final, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are ready to fight for victory in one of the biggest club competition finals in the sport of soccer. While many eyes will be fixed to what happens on the field, I’ll be particularly interested in seeing how the Fox Network pulls off the first live telecast of a Champions League Final on US network television. From 1 to 2:30pm ET, Fox Soccer Channel will feature Bobby McMahon, Warren Barton, Eric Wynalda and Jeremy St. Louis live from Madrid for the pre-game show. And then the telecast moves to the Fox Network at 2:30pm ET for the game itself which will be presented by Curt Menefee alongside Bruce Arena. Before, during and after the game, feel free to add...

Today’s Championship Playoff Final is often called the richest final in the sport. The winner stands to gain around 90 million pounds, which is far more than the 36 million pound prize on offer in this afternoon’s Champions League final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. Needless to say, this match is massive for both Blackpool and Cardiff City. Based on the number of articles in the press and comments posted across the Internet, it seems that most people are hoping for a Blackpool win. I am too but that’s because I’m a Swansea City supporter, Cardiff’s bitter rivals. Whoever wins today, let’s hope it’s a brilliant match. Before, during and after the final, feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below. For those of you in the States, the game will be...

Which stars should grace Wossy's farewell sofa? Russell Brand, perhaps - or just anyone but Ricky GervaisIt may still be a little over a month away, but the final edition of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross is already being talked about with a sort of breathlessness usually reserved for big sporting events or royal weddings. Everyone – or, to be more specific, about three people who work for different newspapers – wants to know who Jonathan Ross will choose as his final guests.Yesterday, for example, it was announced that Russell Brand was a likely contender. Ostensibly he'd be there to promote Get Him to the Greek, but in reality it'd be the ideal opportunity to discuss the Sachsgate kerfuffle that ultimately ended both of their careers at the BBC. It's not a bad idea – depending on...

Last week I took part in a ‘portfolio surgery’ for the third (and final) year group on the Visual Communications degree at BIAD, BCU. With a whole host of ‘patients’, I was one of five surgeons including representatives from Type, Surely?, Clusta and One Black Bear. Over the course of the morning I managed to talk with a dozen or so students, each at very different stages of their final major projects and with portfolios at various levels of completion. Whilst some were a way off a polished final piece, the standard of the work contained within was refreshingly original and quality of finish very high. Without wanting to sound like a very old man, things have clearly moved on since I graduated from the course seven years ago, and I’m sure, any one of the people I saw would...

Last week I took part in a 'portfolio surgery' for the third (and final) year group on the Visual Communications degree at BIAD, BCU. With a whole host of 'patients', I was one of five surgeons including representatives from Type, Surely?, Clusta and One Black Bear. Over the course of the morning I managed to talk with a dozen or so students, each at very different stages of their final major projects and with portfolios at various levels of completion. Whilst some were a way off a polished final piece, the standard of the work contained within was refreshingly original and quality of finish very high. Without wanting to sound like a very old man, things have clearly moved on since I graduated from the course seven years ago, and I'm sure, any one of the people I saw would have shone in...

As in 2009, so in 2010.Yet another FA Cup Final won by one of the 'Big Four'. Today's 1-0 victory over Portsmouth was Chelsea's third F.A. Cup Final success in four years, and the sixth time the once so elusive League and FA Cup 'Double' has been achieved since the inception of the Premier League in 1992/3.As I wrote after last year's Final:Money Power doesn’t make life more exciting-it does exactly the opposite. It means that all our towns and cities look the same: a Starbucks, Pizza Express or Macdonalds on every corner. It means our leading political parties all have the same pro-capital policies. And the same teams win all the football trophies. If only Kevin-Prince Boateng had scored for Pompey from the penalty spot. Then we might have had a different ending. But once again in the...

In what is the last big match of the 2009-10 season featuring two Premier League teams, the FA Cup Final from Wembley is always a special occasion especially today with two amazing story lines featuring the rags of Portsmouth against the riches of Chelsea. Can Chelsea win the double or can Portsmouth somehow find a way to beat the Premier League champions? The game has all the markings of a classic final if only it can be close. We can hope. Join in the debate about the game in the comments section below. Related posts:Premier League Gameweek 37: Open Thread Portsmouth’s Special One-Off Kit For FA Cup Semi-Final Revealed Manchester United v Chelsea: Open Thread...

In the build-up to the FA Cup Final today between Portsmouth and Chelsea, I thought it’d be interesting to enter the time machine and to go back to 1992 to watch the first ten minutes of the television broadcast of Portsmouth versus Liverpool in the FA Cup Semi-Final from Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium. With John Motson commentating and awful shirt designs from both teams, it’s interesting to see some of the differences between the level of play 20 years ago compared to today. While players are often nervy during big matches, there were plenty of bad passes and tough tackles as can be seen in the above video. The game is also remarkable for another reason. Liverpool’s manager that day was Graeme Souness. Both teams in this match were unable to win so they had to replay the match...

If you want to see how much soccer has changed and what a cup final was like in 1972, this classic video showing the first ten minutes of footage from the 1972 League Cup Final is a must-see. The video looks like it’s straight out of The Damned United with the tracksuit jackets and how dated everything looks including the shaggy haircuts. The result of the game was a massive upset with Stoke City winning 2-1 (imagine if that happened nowadays). The winning goal was scored by George Eastham. Related posts:Aaron Ramsey Horrific Injury Against Stoke City: Video 1966 World Cup Semi-Final: England v Portugal: Video Flashback Hungary v England, 1988: Video Flashback...

It’s been three years since Final Fantasy XII was released on the PS2 and Square Enix have been teasing us with videos and images of the eagerly awaited Final Fantasy XIII. I’m a massive fan and have every Final Fantasy apart from FFXI as the online mode didn’t really interest me, although saying that, the Final Fantasy XIV trailer looks interesting. So the question people were asking was, just how good Final Fantasy’s first outing as a next gen game would be and would it live up to the hype? Well, it’s different. There was a massive talking point about how linear the game was and some people have said that it isn’t a Final Fantasy game because of it. To some extent I do agree as it is extremely linear and it’s like walking down corridors for 25...

So for the entire 2009-10 season of the Champions League coverage on Fox Soccer Channel, soccer analysts Bobby McMahon and Warren Barton have worked incredibly hard to hone their skills, study the teams and deliver some of the best homegrown soccer analysis we’ve ever seen on television Stateside. So, what do they get for their hard work? They get replaced for the Champions League Final with LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena and NFL analyst Curt Menefee. It’s possible that Barton and McMahon will still be involved on the Fox Soccer Channel pre-game show before the game is broadcast live on the regular Fox channel across the United States. But still, I believe Fox’s decision to bring in Arena and Menefee stinks. Arena is not a soccer pundit and he is not a great speaker. Menefee is a NFL...

Man, it’s been quite a year for wonderful football stories this season. First, there’s Fulham who have made it to the Europa League Final. And we also have the incredible Portsmouth who have reached the FA Cup Final (to be played May 15) against Chelsea. In honor of Portsmouth’s FA Cup final appearance, their shirt manufacturer Kappa has designed a special away shirt that the Pompey players will wear. They’ll be paying homage to their early years by incorporating the club’s original colours of burgundy and salmon pink (pictured above). For the largest selection of Premier League shirts for all 20 clubs, visit the EPL Talk Shop. Related posts:Any Neutral Has to Root for Portsmouth and Avram Grant in the FA Cup Final Portsmouth’s Special One-Off Kit For FA Cup...

Cottagers reach first European final Fulham beat Hamburg 2-1 at Craven Cottage to reach their first ever European final. Roy Hodgson’s men came from a goal behind to see off the German side after a goalless first-leg in Hamburg. Goals from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera ensured their progress to face Atletico Madrid in the final in [...]...

The final league game - and the final XVs game - of the season is on Sunday at Letchworth, when the U15s and U18s take on Berkshire Barbarians. Both games will be on the first team pitch - and you will be delighted to hear that the club will be watering it overnight so that it will not be the consistency of concrete! U15s will be playing their game first (12.15 meet) followed by the U18s.The season is far from over as there are still a whole raft of tournaments to look forward to, but this will be the final fixture at Letchworth this season - and for Nikki, Jess, Natalie and Chloe their final (perhaps ever) games at Legends Lane.Its therefore a significant occasion. Nikki in particular has spent a third of her life turning up at Letchworth twice a week (or more), every week, apart from...

Carlisle under 15’s are to play Aspatria in the Cumbria Under 15 Cup Final at Silloth on Sunday 18th April at 1.00 pm. Carlisle reached the final after Keswick ceded the semi final.  Carlisle... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...

Since this weekend features the semi-finals of the FA Cup, I thought it’d be interesting to take a trip down memory lane to see what a FA Cup semi-final from 1982 was like featuring two teams that in today’s age would seem like unlikely participants at this stage in the tournament. Queens Park Rangers played West Bromwich Albion in the 1981-82 semi-final. The match was played at Arsenal’s Highbury Stadium on a beautiful spring day. As usual, there are several interesting observations that can be drawn from this broadcast from the opening by Jimmy Hill of Match Of The Day and to the match itself. Please share your observations of what you found interesting from the match and the broadcast in the comments section below. Related posts:8 Highlights From the Manchester Carling Cup...

No proper blog today - Tyler's heading round to the TPA to help dissect Labour's final budget (well, it's either Labour's final budget, or Tyler's final one - if we somehow manage to re-elect this corrupt crew, Tyler's off). We'll be blogging our conclusions on the TPA site.Meanwhile, copies of the TPA's new book How to Cut Spending (and still win an election) have arrived at the office. A rattling good read (including the Bloke's chapter on fiscal decentralisation) - place your order...

• Arsenal face champions and United face Bayern Munich• English sides to meet in final if they overcome tough opponentsIn a tough Champions League draw for English sides, Arsenal will meet Barcelona in the quarter-finals, with Manchester United facing Bayern Munich.If Arsenal beat the current champions they will go on to meet Internazionale or CSKA Moscow in the semi-finals.United – the only other British team left in the competition – are on course to meet the winners of an all-French quarter-final between Lyon and Bordeaux.The two English sides will meet in the final if they progress.The semi-final draw was made in Switzerland at the same time as that for the quarter-finals, as has been the case in recent seasons.Eight teams from six different countries reached the...

The draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League has been made, and there are some delightful matches drawn. Arsenal will play Barcelona – two of the most attractive to watch teams in the world. Manchester United will play Bayern Munich – as a repeat of that great 1999 Champions League Final. Lyon will play Bordeaux, which ensures that a French team will make it to the semi-final, and last but not least, Inter Milan will play CSKA Moscow. In the semi-final, the winner of Arsenal versus Barcelona will play the winner of Inter Milan against CKSA Moscow. And the winner of Manchester United versus Bayern Munich will play the winner of Lyon against Bordeaux. This means that if Manchester United wins both matches, Sir Alex Ferguson could face either Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan or...

After yesterday’s final games in the Champions League round of 16, we now know which teams will be in the hat tomorrow morning to decide who will play who in the quarter-finals. But before tomorrow’s draw, I thought it’d be fun to fantasize a little and think about which two teams would be the dream Champions League Final this year. The eight teams who have qualified for the quarter-finals are: Arsenal Bayern Munich Barcelona Bordeaux CSKA Moscow Inter Milan Lyon Manchester United For me, a dream final would be Manchester United against Inter Milan. Consider all of the storylines. It would be Ferguson against Mourinho. Premier League against Serie A. Wesley Sneijder against Michael Carrick. Italy against England (which could easily end up being a semi-final or final or...

Hit the auto-update thingummybob for the latest posts, view the latest scores here and email scott.murray@guardian.co.uk tooKick off: 12.30pmSo, then, the Dream Final: perm any two from Portsmouth, Birmingham, Fulham, Tottenham, Stoke City, Reading and Aston Villa, basically. Anyone but, anyone but. Sorry, Chelsea, but it wasn't us who expressed a wish to become the Manchester United of the South.Portsmouth of course have already served us up with a Dream Final in recent years, their 2008 match-up against Cardiff City. Which, if not quite a stone-cold classic, was a damn sight more interesting than the usual Manchester United v Chelsea v Arsenal snoozefest normally foisted upon us between players who don't really care watched by spoilt supporters wishing it was the Champions League...

Here we go, here we go.. Again.Underdog team takes early lead in Cup final. The favourites equalise before half-time. They then win the match with a moment of star quality, from a very expensively bought player with around 15/20mins remaining.That’s what occurred in yesterday’s League Cup final, and its also what occurred in last year’s FA Cup final. Despite the fact that both Aston Villa and Everton gave it everything they had, once again a team from the Big Four has won one of English football’s three main trophies. And once again the underdog has lost in a final. There used to be a time when any old Wimbledon, Coventry, Ipswich or QPR could win a Wembley Cup final. Not any more it seems.The facts speak for themselves: in the last five years only two teams from outside the top...

Is there actually chance of a Final Fantasy VII remake? Oh God please make this happen!! PLEASE!! *geekgasm* Yoshinori Kitase who directed the immensely popular and fans favourite Final Fantasy VII said that he’d be “really interested” in remaking Final Fantasy VII on the PS3 with high def graphics, voice acting and more subtle expressions. I mean, think about it!! How much more weight would certain events have in gorgeous graphics and being able to see Cloud’s expressions at that time! Gives me goosebumps! He even went on to say: “I’d be interested to see that and make that, it would be a great experience. I don’t get tired of people asking that question………..so I’ll continue to answer my thoughts as long as people keep asking.” Of course there will...