TELEVISED GAMES IN BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE 2012/2013

The Barclays Premier League matches to be broadcast on Sky Sports and ESPN in the opening months of the 2012/13 season have been announced.

Newcastle United against Tottenham Hotspur will be the first match shown live, with the fixture to be broadcast on ESPN at 5.30pm on 18 August - the opening day of the season.

Chelsea will visit Wigan and defending champions Manchester City will host Southampton the following day, with both matches to be shown live on Sky Sports.

Full list of broadcast selections and fixture changes up to 30th Sept 2012:

Saturday 18 August, 2012

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm kick off)
Live on ESPN

Sunday 19 August, 2012

Wigan Athletic v Chelsea (1.30pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Manchester City v Southampton (4pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Monday 20 August, 2012

Everton v Manchester United (8pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Saturday 25 August, 2012

Swansea City v West Ham United (12.45pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Chelsea v Newcastle United (5.30pm kick off)
Live on ESPN

Sunday 26 August, 2012

Stoke City v Arsenal (1.30pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Liverpool v Manchester City (4pm)
Live on Sky Sports

Saturday 1 September, 2012

West Ham United v Fulham (12.45pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers (5.30pm kick off)
Live on ESPN

Sunday 2 September, 2012

Liverpool v Arsenal (1.30pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Newcastle United v Aston Villa (4pm kick off)
* Further to Newcastle's participation in the Europa League Play Offs the preceding Thursday.

Southampton v Manchester United (4pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Saturday 15 September, 2012

Norwich City v West Ham United (12.45pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Sunderland v Liverpool (5.30pm kick off)
Live on ESPN

Sunday 16 September, 2012

Reading v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Monday 17 September, 2012

Everton v Newcastle United (8pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Saturday 22 September, 2012

Swansea City v Everton (12.45pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Sunday 23 September, 2012

Liverpool v Manchester United (1.30pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Manchester City v Arsenal (4pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Tottenham Hotspur v Queens Park Rangers (4pm kick off)
* Further to Tottenham’s participation in the Europa League the preceding Thursday.

Saturday 29 September, 2012

Arsenal v Chelsea (12.45pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm kick off)
Live on ESPN

Sunday 30 September, 2012

Aston Villa v West Bromwich Albion (4pm kick off)
Live on Sky Sports

Converting Fractional Odds to Decimal Odds

Converting to Decimal Odds

Decimal odds are a more modern way to look at betting especially online. If you are more familiar with fractional odds then it may seem complicated but in fact it is relatively easy to work out and so it is worth knowing how to convert fractions into the decimal odds that are used at most bookmakers these days. In this blog I will explain how to do just that with ease. All you will need is a calculator or pen and paper and the step-by-step instructions below.

Understanding what fractional odds such as 6/4, 3/1 and 10/3 represent makes the conversion process easy to understand. The left hand side of the odds tell you how much profit a bet will make after you stake the number of units on the right hand side. 3/1 therefore means that if you stake £1, you would make a profit of £3 for a total return of £4.

Decimal odds also tell you how much profit you will make from a bet, but as you will remember our decimal odds figures include our returned stake. This means that to convert fractional odds to decimal odds we need to take the left hand side of the fraction (we'll call this L), divide by the right hand side of the fraction (we'll call this R) and then add 1 to include the returned stake. This could be set out as:

( L / R ) + 1

Taking odds of 3/1 as an example, our conversion to decimal odds here would require us to take 3, divide by 1 and then add 1:

( 3 / 1 ) + 1
( 3 ) + 1 = 4.0

Odds-on fractional odds are converted in exactly the same way, so if you come across fractional odds such a 1/3, the calculation would be:

( 1 / 3 ) + 1
( 0.33 ) + 1 = 1.33

Decimal Odds Conversion Table

Although converting fractional odds to decimal odds is easy, many people like to have a decimal odds conversion table on hand to help them convert odds even when they don't have a calculator available. If this idea appeals to you then the decimal odds conversion table below is one that will help you to convert fractional odds from 1/5 to 9/1. For fractional odds of 10/1 and higher (and all fractions that just have 1 as the right hand side figure, come to that) you should be able to carry out the calculation in your head quite easily.

Fractional Odds	Decimal Odds
1/5	1.20
2/9	1.22
1/4	1.25
2/7	1.29
3/10	1.30
1/3	1.33
4/11	1.36
2/5	1.40
4/9	1.44
1/2	1.50
8/15	1.53
4/7	1.57
8/13	1.62
4/6	1.67
8/11	1.73
4/5	1.80
5/6	1.83
10/11	1.91
1/1	2.00
11/10	2.10
6/5	2.20
5/4	2.25
11/8	2.37
6/4	2.50
13/8	2.62
7/4	2.75
15/8	2.87
2/1	3.00
9/4	3.25
5/2	3.50
11/4	3.75
3/1	4.00
100/30	4.33
7/2	4.50
4/1	5.00
9/2	5.50
5/1	6.00
11/2	6.50
6/1	7.00
13/2	7.50
7/1	8.00
15/2	8.50
8/1	9.00
17/2	9.50
9/1	10.00

I hope this helps you work out the amounts you will win when looking at decimal odds.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SPAIN EURO 2012 CHAMPIONS

CONGRATULATIONS

SPAIN

EURO 2012 CHAMPIONS

SPAIN 4-0 ITALY

http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Photo/competitions/Comp_Matches/01/83/78/74/1837874_w1.jpg

EURO 2012 FINAL SPAIN V ITALY

Who would have thought the Euro 2012 Final would be Spain v Italy?
Italy booked there place after beating Germany with a brace from Mario Balotelli. You can love or hate the Manchester City striker but there was no getting away from his brilliant header then a superb strike for his second goal of the game. The Germans were poor defensively and overall were probably second best across the pitch.A late penalty from Ozil was never enough and Italy ran out 2-1 winners.

Spain played out a goal less draw with Portugal on Wednesday, taking the game to extra time and penalties where they kept their cool with a 4-2 win. Ronaldo didn't get to take a penalty, whether it was a good decision or not to wait is anyones guess and only he can answer that question.

The Final on Sunday puts two good teams up against one another. Many say Spain are boring but they keep the ball very well and can carve open a defence with ease. Italy are a very well organised team defensively and can also break out with speed. So, all in all I can see a decent football match and hopefully the footballing stars will all be on song and give us a match to remember.
Another early goal from Italy may see Spain pick up their game and my prediction for this game is 2-2.
Extra time will have a goal apiece which takes an exciting game down to penalties where Spain once again triumph 5-3.

I hope you have enjoyed my blog during the Euros and will be keeping you up to date with latest news in the footballing world. Good luck with everything you do and bet carefully and sensibly.

EURO 2012 SEMI FINALS

The Semi Final line up has been completed for Euro 2012.
Germany, Spain, Portugal and Italy are the big four left in the tournament.

Spain v Portugal is the first game on Wednesday 27th June 2012, a bit of a local derby shall we say. Spain came through the group stages scoring 6 goals and only conceding 1. They then met France in the quarter final which turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. France didn't really turn up and Spain never got out of second gear winning 2-0.
Portugal were in the so called group of death but after a 1-0 loss to the Germans found themselves in the runner up spot after wins against Denmark and the drab Netherlands. They scored 5 and conceded 4 goals.
Czech Republic were their surprise opponents in the quarter final which Portugal scraped with a 1-0 win. Spain will be favourites for the Semi Final but Ronaldo has ran into some top form and this will be a very tight affair. I don't see many goals but think Spain will go into the final.
Portugal 0-1 Spain


Germany v Italy is how the other half of the draw has panned out and will take place on Thursday 28th June.
The Germans have cruised along winning all 3 group games but only scoring 5 and conceding 2 goals. Greece somehow were the runners up in Group A but after a tight first half in the quarter final we had a goal glut with Germany booking their Semi Final place with a 4-2 win fielding a reserve side.
Italy on the other hand pottered along in Group C where 2 draws and a win saw them through to a quarter final clash with England. Not much between them on paper and sure enough the game went into extra time, though Italy had many chances to put the game away. No goals after 120 mins and the dreaded penalties saw the Italians keep their cool and take the game 4-2.
Germany seem to be the team to beat and I can't see Italy going into the final.
Germany 1-0 Italy


So I think the two favourites will find it hard, but overall a Spain v Germany Final it will be on
Sunday 1st July 2012.

EURO 2012 QUARTER FINALS

Well the group stages of Euro 2012 are done and dusted. Not many people will have predicted the final 8 teams to progress to the quarter finals but here is the line-up.

1) Thursday 21st June 2012 : Czech Republic v Portugal

2) Friday 22nd June 2012    : Germany v Greece

3) Saturday 23rd June 2012 : Spain v France

4) Sunday 24th June 2012    : England v Italy

The Czechs were a big surprise and came through after losing their first game 4-1 to Russia, many peoples favourites, then beating Greece and Poland. They have a tough game against Portugal who also started with  

a defeat but also won their final two games with Ronaldo waking up in the game against Holland and sealing the Dutch fate. A tight encounter, this one, but I see the Portuguese progressing. 

Czech Republic 1-2 Portugal

The second quarter final brings up the David and Goliath of the round. 2004 winners Greece face the mighty Germany in what will seem a total mismatch. Greece were very poor in the group stages and only a miraculous 1-0 win against the Russians saw them scrape into the runner up spot in Group A. The Germans cruised the group of death with three wins and look like they are only in second gear. Only a mad man will back against Germany. So I see this one as an easy call. 

Germany 2-0 Greece

Quarter Final number 3 and Spain will face France. Spain were possibly lucky to come away with a draw against Italy in the first group game when they fielded no recognised strikers and 6 midfielders.Neither team wanted to lose that game as Ireland and Croatia were next up.  Spain hammered a very poor Ireland side then did enough against Croatia to top the group. France also drew their first game when facing England even though they were the better side. Ukraine did not put up much of a fight against the French which was a good job as Sweden then beat France in the final game but they still came through in second spot.Another close game but Spain to go into the Semis.

Spain 1-0 France

Last but not least in the quarter final line up are England and Italy. Very low expectations have followed England and Roy Hodgson which may have taken a little pressure from them. They were second best against France in the group opener, almost blew it with a 3-2 win over Sweden, then had very few chances in a 1-0 defeat of the co-hosts Ukraine. But, is luck on Englands side for once? Italy finished with two draws and a win in Group C. They pride themselves in defensive displays, although they have shown a little flair too. Benzema is the danger man, has had plenty of shots in the group games and England need to be aware.They rested quite a few players against Ireland and will have an extra day to recover for this game. I think this will be decided in extra time after the scores are level at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

England 2-1 Italy (after extra time)

So judging by my predictions the Semi Finals will hopefully look like this.

Portugal v Spain

Germany v England

Don't forget to use those FREE BETS FROM BOOKIES and take advantage of the promotions available.

All the Best and COME ON ENGLAND!!!!!!

POLAND AND RUSSIA OUT OF EURO 2012

Poland and Russia have both been knocked out of Euro 2012. Unbelievably the co-hosts Poland were very flat in a game they had to win. A draw was enough to see the Czechs through but they ended the night topping the group. Poland 0-1 Czech Rep.


Russia were the favourites to top the group but Greece upset the party. The 2004 champions were expected to be hammered by Russia who had beaten the Czechs 4-1 and drawn against Poland. Greece scored right on half time and the Russians were shell shocked. Amazing night of football and is it possible that a team from Greece could win the Euros and not be part of the Euro zone. Well there's a possibility but looks like they will face the Germans in the Quarter finals.
Final Group A Table


1) Czech Republic     6 pts
2) Greece                  4 pts
3) Russia                   4 pts
4) Poland                  2 pts

EURO 2012 DAY 5 GROUP A

Tuesday 12th June saw the second round of Group A games.
Greece came up against Czech Republic with both sides hoping for a win and it was the Czechs who came out of the blocks quicker and were 2-0 ahead within the first 6 minutes with goals from Jiracek and Pilar. The Greeks were shell shocked and it seemed the only result was a cricket score. Half time arrived and still  the same scoreline. Both sides made substitutions on 46 minutes and it was Gekas for Greece that made the impact by pulling a goal back.Both sides had chances after that but the game ended. Greece 1-2 Czech Republic


Poland were looking for a better performance today after being held by 10 man Greece on Friday but it was Russia who had the better of the first half and that man Dzagoev made it 1-0 after 37 minutes. The Poles stepped up a gear in the second half and a beautiful shot on the run from Blaszczykowski on 57 minutes made it 1-1. Four yellow cards and 5 substitutions followed but no change to the scoreline leaving everything at stake in the final games of Group A in 4 days time. Poland 1-1 Russia




Remember you can get free bets to stake on all games in the Euros and many bookies have special promotions and money back offers on various markets.

EURO 2012 DAY4 GROUP D

England and France came up against each other in the first match of Group D. A tight affair was expected as both sides came into the game having won friendlies. The deadlock was broken on 30 minutes when a powerful header from Lescott bulged the back of the net. England settled a little but France were always dangerous. The equaliser came after 39 minutes when Nasri shot low into the bottom corner of Joe Harts net. There were a few chances in the second half but no goals and England were probably the happier to come away with a point.
France 1-1 England


The joint hosts Ukraine faced Sweden and a goal less first half meant this match could go either way. The second half started brightly and Sweden took the lead with Ibrahimovic scoring. Ukraine came straight back into it with a brace from Shevchenko, both goals coming from headers. Sweden pressed forward but there was nothing going to stop the home crowd celebrating the opening win for there host nation.
Ukraine 2-1 Sweden


Another 2 correct predictions from me with the 1-1 correct score France v England and First goalscorer Ibrahimovic for Sweden. Look out for more predictions on the blog for Euro 2012.

EURO 2012 DAY 3 GROUP C

Group C started their road to the final with holders Spain against Italy. The Italians fielded an attacking side along with 3 central defenders whilst the Spanish went with 6 midfielders and no real forwards. The game started as expected with both teams looking at one anothers tactics, but was fairly entertaining in a goal-less first half.
The second half sprung into life when the frustrated Balotelli was substituted for Di Natale and within 5 minutes Italy were 1-0 up. Fabregas then levelled after some very nice play with an assist from David Silva after 64 minutes. Both sides had chances especially Torres, who wasted most of them and the game finished
Spain 1-1 Italy


Republic of Ireland came into the game with Croatia on an impressive unbeaten run of 14 games but were one goal down (Mandzukic) after only two minutes. The gritty Irish fought back and levelled after a free kick found St Ledger at the back post on 19 minutes. Croatia pressed forward and took the lead again just before half time through Jelavic.
Into the second half and Ireland huffed and puffed but went further behind when Mandzukic grabbed his second and Croatias third goal when the ball hit the post and rebounded in off Givens head. Both teams made all 3 substitutions but a series of free kicks ended with defeat and a mountain to climb for the men in green.
Republic of Ireland 1-3 Croatia

EURO 2012 DAY2 GROUP B

The second day of Euro 2012 started with the shock of the tournament.Holland.0-1 Denmark
The Dutch had numerous chances throughout the match but a mixture of bad finishing and no luck gave the Danes a chance which Krohn-Delih despatched through the keepers legs.Van de Vaart and Huntelaar were thrown in after 70 minutes but couldn't make the difference and Denmark hung on to a famous victory.

The second match in Group B saw a rather dull affair for around 70 minutes when Gomez headed back across the Portuguese keeper and put the Germans one up. Portugal had obviously set themselves up to stop the Germans and would have been more than happy with the draw. After the goal Portugal then decided they needed an equaliser and forced the Germans back with some inventive play. The final 15 minutes was fairly entertaining but Portugal left it too late and the Germans got there campaign off to a winning start.
Germany 1-0 Portugal.


Neither Portugal nor Holland can now afford to lose their second group game or they will be heading home and out of EURO 2012.

Should be interesting in 4 days time. Group C kicks off on Sunday 10th June with Spain v Italy and Republic of Ireland v Croatia. Watch out for the after match analysis soon on my blog.

MY EURO 2012 TIPS FOR SATURDAY 9th June

Tips for Saturday 9th June. 


Group B Holland v Denmark
Correct Score: 2-1 
First Goalscorer: Sneijder

Claim your Titan Bet Bonus

Group B Germany v Portugal
Correct Score: 3-2 
First Goalscorer: Ozil


 

CRACKING OPENING TO EURO 2012

WOW!! What a tremendous start to Euro 2012. The tournament started with Poland having a good go at Greece and deservedly took the lead through Lewandowski. The game seemed to get spoiled by some dubious decisions by the Spanish referee when he booked S. Papastathoupolous and then within 10 minutes decided a slight nudge deserved another yellow followed by a red. This seemed to give the Greeks a push in the right direction as they came out for the second half a different team and within 5 minutes grabbed the equaliser. The tie was then thrown on its head as Polish keeper Szczesny conceded a penalty and was sent off. The penalty was saved by the reserve keeper (Tyton) and the game had chances for both teams to win it before the final whistle was blown. Result 1-1.

The second game of the tournament was even better as the Czechs started the better of the two teams before Dzagoev gave Russia the lead after 15 minutes. Shirokov made it 2 -0 after 24 mins and were cruising. Kerzhakov missed a hatful of chances which should have distanced the Russians, but 7 mins into the 2nd half saw the Czechs pull a goal back through Pilar. Kerzhakov was replaced on 73 mins and the Russians pressed forward. Pavlyuchenko assisted Dzagoev for his second goal before rifling the ball into the roof of the net for his 1st and Russias' 4th in the 82nd minute. The game was convincingly won by Russia and the Czechs are now up against it to progress from the group.Result 4-1

A wonderful start to the tournament and hopefully it will continue in the same way.

Keep up to date with all the results right here and also in-play on Twitter.com/@FBookies.

I will try to give my best tips on the blog during the Euros. I had a great start using my free bets today when I captured Lewandowski as First Goalscorer and the correct score 1-1 in the Poland/Greece game.

Also I tipped on Twitter Dzagoev as First Goalscorer and 1-1(way off) in the Russia/ Czech Republic game.

So I have decided to put my tips up on the blog for each game, but please only bet if you can afford it and don't take them as gospel.

Good Luck in the tournament and lets make it one to remember.

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Sign up through this link, deposit £25 and receive a £25 free bet. An exchange is like being the bookmaker rather than the punter, so unlike traditional bookmakers an exchange gives you the option to Lay as well as Back, and this is crucial for the matched betting technique.

Unlike betting with a bookmaker, punters are able to choose the price they want to bet at and not the price they’re told they can have. Every bet placed on a betting exchange, involves a backer and a layer. A backer thinks a particular outcome will happen, where as a layer thinks that it won’t happen. The odds and amounts that you see on each market are people asking for or offering bets, these are called unmatched bets. When someone accepts one of these bets by either backing or laying, the bet is on. This is called a matched bet. Betting exchanges charge a small commission but this is included in the calculated profit.

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Make EURO 2012 a tournament to remember.

REVIEW OF ENGLANDS CHANCES AT EUROS

READ ALL ABOUT HOW I THINK ENGLAND WILL FARE AT EURO 2012.

I HAVE WROTE A REVIEW AT www.DutchFootballTips.co.uk/Euro2012.php

TAKE A LOOK AROUND PAULS SITE AND READ OTHER REVIEWS TOO.

FOLLOW ME THROUGHOUT THE EUROS FOR GREAT FREE BETS
www.Twitter.com/@FBookies

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EURO 2012 ONLY 5 DAYS TO GO

Only 5 days to go before the Euro 2012 tournament kicks off. 16 of Europes best teams will fight it out for the crown and here's how some of the teams are spending their last days on the run up.

France coach Laurent Blanc has let his players chill out and watch the tennis at the French Open, asking the press to leave his players in peace.

Spain are to play China in a friendly and the players will sharpen up physically and mentally as China can play a very different game to the European Champions.

Ukraine have had a mixed bag of friendly results after beating Estonia 4- 0 then succumbing to a defeat by Austria. Friendlies are for assessing players so coach Oleh Blokhin is not too worried at present.

Russia impressed against Italy with a 3-0 win after 2 previous draws. This type of form should see them get out of their group comfortably.

Sweden have been posing for the official photos after the 3-2 win against Iceland. Forward and captain Ibrahimovic has been releasing his autobiography (now thats chilling out)

Republic of Ireland players Shay Given and Richard Dunn believe with a little luck of the Irish, they can go all the way. Well, they ARE going into the tournament on a run of 13 games unbeaten.

Germany arrive in Gdansk on Monday (4th June) where the hotel they are using as headquarters is situated. They will go straight into a training session where all eyes will be on the possible new champions.

Joint hosts Poland are hoping the local fans will get behind the second youngest team in the tournament. The coach is trying to create a footballing side and may surprise a few here.

Czech Republic have a few injury worries which came to fore in the defeat by Hungary. Hopefully they can be treated in the next 5 days.

Netherlands have been progressing nicely and showed with the 6-0 drubbing of Northern Ireland on Saturday. A good send-off for the Dutch before the first game against Denmark.

Croatia have drawn their last game with Norway, but have worries with Luka Modric, the main playmaker for them.

Greece are enjoying a couple of rest days before flying out to Warsaw. They hope to repeat the win in 2004 and become champions for the 2nd time. Somehow I can't see it.

Italy are having a bad time at present. With fraud allegations and no wins hanging over them, they were hammered by Russia so they will probably go and win it, if Balotelli can stay on the pitch long enough.

Portugal need to pick up the pieces after a Turkey battering but Ronaldo and co can never be ignored. They generally do well but I think this year will be the opposite and will not get out of the group stages.

Denmark are 'where they want to be' according to Nicklas Bendtner and there is good competition for places in the Danish squad. Could be a surprise package but difficult group.

And finally England wrapped up their second 1-0 victory on Saturday under new coach Roy Hodgson. If you don't concede goals then you are in with a chance. Unless its 0-0 after extra time and the dreaded 'P' word happens.

Euro 2012 FRIENDLIES

Results tonight of teams in the Euros:

Denmark 2-0 Australia
Poland 4-0 Andorra
England 1-0 Belgium
Norway 1-1 Croatia
Netherlands 6-0 Northern Ireland
Portugal 1-3 Turkey

Of course these are friendlies and until the tournament starts you never know who
may jump out as contenders. If you are betting then take care and only bet with what you
can afford to lose.
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EURO 2012 OPENING CEREMONY

On June 8 the Euro 2012 opening ceremony in Warsaw will bring the European nations together for a feast of football. 

The performance will start 20 minutes before kick-off of the tournament's opening match between Poland and Greece and begin three weeks of national team football in Poland and Ukraine.

The concept for the UEFA EURO 2012 opening ceremony has been developed by Marco Balich, Olympic Producer and president of events and ceremonies company Filmmaster Events. Balich created the opening and closing ceremonies of the Turin Olympics in 2006 and is also known in Ukraine, having produced the opening ceremony of the Donbass Arena in Donetsk in 2009.

The show will combine heritage and innovation and will last for 12 minutes to bring sport and culture together and mark the start of a historical event, the first UEFA European Football Championship to be staged in central and eastern Europe. It will also promote the participating nations together with key EURO values: unity, rivalry and passion.

 Hungarian classical pianist Adam Gyorgy, will perform a Chopin Étude in a minor (Op.25 Nr.11) as part of the ceremony, to bring the pure classical tradition of Chopin into a sport environment. Gyorgy is a major fan of football himself and was previously involved with the Hungarian national team set-up.

The opening ceremony will include mass choreographies involving more than 800 volunteer performers, coming from as many as 63 countries around the world. More than 150 million live viewers are expected to watch the opening match and its ceremony.

With just over a week to go all the teams are involved in friendly matches to ensure they are at their peak going into the Championships.

Will the trophy have a new name engraved or will it be Spain once again? Overall lets hope there is a lot of entertaining football and the 'beautiful game' is played fairly.

Good luck to all 16 teams.

HOSTS POLAND CONFIRM FINAL SQUAD

Poland coach Franciszek Smuda has finalised his 23 man squad for the Euros.
He said it was a very difficult decision to drop 3 players from the provisional squad.

Poland squad
Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczęsny (Arsenal FC), Przemysław Tytoń (PSV Eindhoven), Grzegorz Sandomierski (KRC Genk).

Defenders: Sebastian Boenisch (SV Werder Bremen), Marcin Kamiński (KKS Lech Poznań), Damien Perquis (FC Sochaux-Montbéliard), Łukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund), Marcin Wasilewski (RSC Anderlecht), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warszawa), Grzegorz Wojtkowiak (KKS Lech Poznań).

Midfielders: Jakub Błaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Dariusz Dudka (AJ Auxerre), Kamil Grosicki (Sivasspor), Adam Matuszczyk (Fortuna Düsseldorf 1895), Adrian Mierzejewski (Trabzonspor AŞ), Rafal Murawski (KKS Lech Poznań), Eugen Polanski (1. FSV Mainz), Ludovic Obraniak (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Maciej Rybus (FC Terek Grozny), Rafał Wolski (Legia Warszawa).

Forwards: Paweł Brożek (Celtic FC), Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund), Artur Sobiech (Hannover 96).

SPAINS FINAL EURO SQUAD

Following their opening encounter versus Italy on 10 June in Gdansk, Spain conclude their Group C campaign in the same city against the Republic of Ireland and Croatia.

Spain squad
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF), Víctor Valdés (FC Barcelona), Pepe Reina (Liverpool FC).

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF), Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona), Jordi Alba (Valencia CF), Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid CF), Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid CF), Juanfran (Club Atlético de Madrid), Javi Martínez (Athletic Club).

Midfielders: Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona), Sergio Busquets (FC Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid CF), David Silva (Manchester City FC), Santi Cazorla (Málaga CF), Jesús Navas (Sevilla FC), Cesc Fàbregas (FC Barcelona), Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona).

Forwards: Fernando Llorente (Athletic Club), Juan Mata (Chelsea FC), Fernando Torres (Chelsea FC), Pedro Rodríguez (FC Barcelona), Álvaro Negredo (Sevilla FC).

DUTCH TEAM FINALISED FOR EURO 2012

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has includes Eindhoven  players Wilfried Bouma and Jetro Willems in his final 23-man squad for UEFA EURO 2012.

33-year-old Bouma last appeared in an Oranje shirt 4 years ago – in a 2-0 win against Romania at  EURO 2008 – while 18-year-old Willems has just completed his first season in the Eredivisie with PSV. The duo are likely to compete with Stijn Schaars for the left-back berth in Poland and Ukraine after the Sporting Clube de Portugal midfielder made his debut in the friendly against England on 29 February.

Coach Van Marwijk said it was a difficult decision to cut the likes of Vurnon Anita, Siem de Jong, Jeremain Lens and Dutch young player of the year Adam Maher from his initial 27-man provisional squad. "I have taken time to talk with the omitted players and explain why," he said. "They deserved that after their good work. They can leave the training camp with their heads held high."

From the team that started the final defeat against Spain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, only retired left-back Giovanni van Bronckhorst is missing. Uncapped forward Luciano Narsingh also takes his place in a squad that has a wealth of attacking options.

The Netherlands start their final tournament on 9 June against Denmark before facing Germany and Portugal in a very difficult group– all in Kharkiv. Prior to the tournament, they play three friendly matches, against Bulgaria today, Slovakia on 30 May and Northern Ireland on 2 June.

Results from other games in the Dutch group today 26 May

Switzerland 5 - 3 Germany

Portugal 0 - 0 Macedonia

Denmark 1 - 3 Brazil

Netherlands Squad Goalkeepers: Tim Krul (Newcastle United FC), Maarten Stekelenburg (AS Roma), Michel Vorm (Swansea City AFC).

Defenders: Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart), Wilfred Bouma (PSV Eindhoven), John Heitinga (Everton FC), Joris Mathijsen (Málaga CF), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (AFC Ajax), Jetro Willems (PSV Eindhoven).

Midfielders: Mark van Bommel (AC Milan), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City FC), Stijn Schaars (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Wesley Sneijder (FC Internazionale Milano), Kevin Strootman (PSV Eindhoven), Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham Hotspur FC).

Forwards: Ibrahim Afellay (FC Barcelona), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (FC Schalke 04), Luuk de Jong (FC Twente), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool FC), Luciano Narsingh (sc Heerenveen), Robin van Persie (Arsenal FC), Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München).

RUSSIA NAME 23 MAN SQUAD FOR EUROS

Dick Advocaat has named his final 23 man squad for the Euros 2012.
Russia have began their preparations with a 1-1 draw against Uruguay.

They start their campaign on June 8 against Czech Republic, followed by games with Poland and Greece.

FULL SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (PFC CSKA Moskva), Vyacheslav Malafeev (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Anton Shunin (FC Dinamo Moskva).

Defenders: Aleksandr Anyukov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksei Berezutski (PFC CSKA Moskva), Sergei Ignashevich (PFC CSKA Moskva), Vladimir Granat (FC Dinamo Moskva), Yuri Zhirkov (FC Anzhi Makhachkala), Dmitri Kombarov (FC Spartak Moskva), Roman Sharonov (FC Rubin Kazan), Kirill Nababkin (PFC CSKA Moskva).

Midfielders: Igor Denisov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Denis Glushakov (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Igor Semshov (FC Dinamo Moskva), Marat Izmailov (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Alan Dzagoev (PFC CSKA Moskva).

Forwards: Andrey Arshavin (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kerzhakov (FC Zenit St Petersburg), Aleksandr Kokorin (FC Dinamo Moskva), Roman Pavlyuchenko (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham FC).

RUDDY OUT OF ENGLANDS EURO 2012

JOHN RUDDY HAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE ENGLAND SQUAD AFTER BREAKING A FINGER. HIS REPLACEMENT WILL BE AN UNKNOWN 19 YEAR OLD BY THE NAME OF JACK BUTLAND. 

THE YOUNGSTER HAS HAD A GOOD SEASON ON LOAN AT CHELTENHAM TOWN IN LEAGUE TWO AND AN ARRAY OF TOP CLUBS HAVE BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON HIM.

HE CAME THROUGH THE BIRMINGHAM CITY ACADEMY AND HAS HELPED CHELTENHAM REACH THE PLAY OFFS. THE OLYMPICS WAS HIS GOAL BUT NOW IT SEEMS HE WILL TRAVEL TO POLAND/UKRAINE FOR THE EUROS. 

GOOD LUCK TO THE YOUNGSTER AND A BRIGHT CAREER AHEAD OF HIM.

UPCOMING EURO FRIENDLIES

Teams in the Euro 2012 Championships are now preparing in their training camps and most are playing over the weekend 25 - 27 May 2012.
Here are a few organised friendlies.

CROATIA V ESTONIA
CZECH REP V ISRAEL
DENMARK V BRAZIL
ENGLAND V NORWAY
FRANCE V ICELAND
GERMANY V SWITZERLAND
GREECE V SLOVENIA
NETHERLANDS V BULGARIA
POLAND V SLOVAKIA
PORTUGAL V MACEDONIA
REP OF IRELAND V BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
RUSSIA V URUGUAY
SPAIN V SERBIA

EURO NEWS

David Villa is out of the Euros after declaring himself unfit. A big blow to both Barcelona and of course Spain.

The final squad will be announced this Sunday and another missing name is likely to be Carles Puyol who has had knee surgery and looks very doubtful to join the current holders. They play Italy, Republic of Ireland and Crotia in their group games.

Poland 1 - 0 Latvia

Poland won their friendly game with a single goal from Artur Sobiech tonight in Austria.

They had several chances to wrap up the game but Arsenal keeper, Fabianski was in fine form. Latvia hit the post, then with only 8 minutes remaining the Poles struck the winner. 

The hosts have two more friendlies, Slovakia and Andorra, before they open their campaign against Greece on 8 June.

Bayern Munich 3 - 2 Netherlands

A game full of substitutions and goals but nothing can really be judged on this game. Both teams could have probably done without this but 20,000 + fans applauded both sides. A win for Bayern which is no real consolation for the Chelsea defeat and a run out in their new black strip for the Netherlands is all to report.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MASCOTS

European Football Championship	Mascot(s)	Description
Italy 1980	Pinocchio	Based on the character from the children's story of the same name. Pinocchio comprised a small wooden boy with long nose in the colours of the Italian national flag and a white hat emblazened with EUROPA 80.[1][2]
France 1984	Péno	A white cockerel, a traditional national symbol of France, dressed in a French coloured football strip including football boots and white gloves.[3]
West Germany 1988	Berni	A cartoonised German Grey Rabbit with human shaped body. Berni wore an outfit in the colours of the German national flag with a black football jersey with UEFA across the front, red football shorts and yellow or golden socks additionally with white head andwristbands. Mostly depicted while jumping and controlling a football.
Sweden 1992	Rabbit	The Swedish mascot was also a rabbit in the national colours with head and wristbands controlling a football like the mascot from four years previously and was called name of Rabbit.
England 1996	Goaliath	Goaliath was designed in a similar fashion to the original World Cup mascot from 1966 World Cup called World Cup Willie. Goliath comprised a lion, the image on the English football teams crest, dressed in an England football strip and football boots whilst holding a football under his right arm.
Netherlands-Belgium 2000	Benelucky	A lion with a devil's tail and human hands. A lion appears on the crest of the Dutch national federation, and the Belgian national team is historically nicknamed "Red Devils". The name Benelucky, is a portmanteau of "Benelux", the term for the three nations ofBelgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and the ending "-lucky" wishing the participating teams "good luck". It wore football boots and held a football under its left arm. One of the most striking characteristics of Benelucky was its multicoloured lions mane which incorporated the colours of both theBelgian and Dutch national flags.
Portugal 2004	Kinas	A cartoon version of a boy dressed in the Portugal football strip. The mascot's name, Kinas, is taken from "Bandeira das Quinas", which is a name for Portugal's national flag.
Austria-Switzerland 2008	Trix and Flix	A twin set of mascots two represent the two host countries, Austria and Switzerland. The Warner Bros. design was of two child like characters both dressed in football strips comprising solely red and white, the colours of the national flags of Austria and Switzerland.
Poland-Ukraine 2012	Slavek (Sławek) and Slavko	Once again Warner Bros. created the mascots. The twins represent two host nations, Poland and Ukraine. One twin wears Poland's national colours of red and white, the other the yellow and blue of Ukraine.