Month: July 2020

Fantasy Football – 4 Interesting Football Facts to Know

It is generally accepted by the fantasy football fans that the first officially organized league competition in the world was the (English) Football League formed in 1888. Then, it consisted of 12 clubs all of whom were based in the North and the Midlands of England. The very first winners of the Football League Championship were Preston North End. 

England today has a total of 4 professional fantasy football leagues, with teams moving up or down through the leagues depending on their points tally at the end of each season. 

Read on the 4 facts and play fantasy premier league at the new 11Wickets Android/iOS App. 

The First Football Association Cup (FA Cup) 

The first FA Cup final was played in England in 1872 between Royal Engineers and Wanderers in front of 2,000 spectators. Wanderers ran out 1-0 winners partly because Royal Engineers — who were the favorites — lost a player through injury, early in the match, and had to play on with only 10 men since substitutes were not allowed then. The “Challenge Cup”, as it was known originally, was the brainchild of Mr. C. W. Alcock of Sunderland who proposed only the year before that “A challenge cup should be established in connection with the Association”; the “Association” being the Football Association, hence the FA Cup. 

The Oldest Football Club in the World 

There have always been many arguments over the oldest football club in the world. Here are some facts to consider though… 

The oldest, continuously documented, “football” club in the world is Dublin University Football Club, in the Republic of Ireland, which was founded in 1854. However, the club now plays Rugby Union, not Association Football. For this reason, it is not officially recognized as the oldest football club in the world. 

Sheffield Football Club — Sheffield FC — founded in England in 1857, is recognized by both the English FA and FIFA as being the oldest, continuously documented football club in the world still playing Association Football. They play in the Northern Premier League Division 1 South in England. So, they are generally now recognized as being the oldest football club in the world. 

But there is documentation of a “football club” in Edinburgh, Scotland between 1824 and 1841. Several documents still exist today which refer to the “Foot-Ball Club” and its rules. It worked rather like a golf club where members selected teams from their membership to play one another. The club has been now been reconstituted and plays under the name of “The Foot-Ball Club of Edinburgh” in an amateur capacity. 

The First International Football Match 

The first international football match was played between Scotland and England in Glasgow, Scotland on 30th November 1872, in front of 4,000 spectators. The result was a hard-fought 0-0 draw. And of the 110 games played between 1872 and 1999 when the fixture was disbanded, Scotland had won 41, England 45, and 24 games had ended in a draw. 

The First Trainer’s Dugout 

The first-ever recorded use of a sunken covered enclosure at the side of the pitch (the dugout) was in the early 1920s at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland. The trainer at the time, Donald Coleman, had it built to protect himself while he took detailed notes of his players during matches, as was his practice, and, was partly sunken into the ground so as not to block spectators’ views of the game. Visiting teams were so impressed that the idea soon spread throughout the UK and then the rest of the world. 

Thanks for reading! Play fantasy sports and enjoy! 

Read More:
1. Fantasy Football – 7 Favorite Football Stadiums Across Globe
2. Fantasy Football – Top 8 Tallest Football Players in The World
3. Fantasy Football – Tale of Fouls in Football Games

Fantasy Cricket – Top 18 All-Time Fiery Fast Bowlers

Throughout the history of cricket there have been bowlers both revered and feared. These bowlers have a huge fan base and are respected by the opponent team and also by their teammates. These are the group of players who can turn the match and have the power to increase your online fantasy cricket scorecard at 11wickets App. 

 These bowlers are able to even take out the most explosive batsmen from the crease. These have the power of making the batsmen go weak in the knees. They know their business well and can be well trusted for the daily fantasy cricket team. 

Let’s take a glance at the numerous greatest fast pace bowlers in the history of cricket and of course fantasy cricket: 

Glenn McGrath 

Glenn McGrath, born on February 9, 1970, is one of the great Australian bowlers who had helped Australian team dominate the world cricket from 1993 to 2007. He has taken 563 wickets in 124 test matches at an average of 21.64. If gotten chance had you not taken him in your fantasy cricket games? We bet you would have!  

James Anderson 

James Michael Anderson, born on July 30, 1982, has emerged as the greatest English pacer since making his Test debut against Zimbabwe on May 22, 2003. So far, Anderson has claimed 557 wickets in 141 Tests at an average of 26.85. 

Dale Steyn 

Dale Steyn, born on June 27, 1983, is the best pacer in the modern day of cricket. Steyn, with the best strike rate of all time in Test cricket, claimed the top spot in the ICC test rankings having a record 263 weeks from 2008 to 2014. Till now, he has taken 421 wickets in 88 matches at an average of 22.64. 

Wasim Akram 

Wasim Akram, born on June 3, 1966, is regarded as one of the topmost pacers of all time. He has played 104 test matches from Pakistan cricket team. This left-arm pacer had the ability to play with ball at any condition. Akram is one of the founders of reverse swing bowling. He has taken 414 wickets in 104 tests at an average of 23.62 from 1985 to 2002. 

Richard Hadlee 

Born on July 3, 1951, Sir Richard John Hadlee needs no ornamented introduction. This former New Zealand cricketer is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders in the history of cricket. He played 86 test matches between 1973 and 1990 and took 431 wickets at an average of 22.29. 

Waqar Younis 

Born on November 16, 1971, Waqar Younis is another of the former gem of Pakistani cricket team. He had the ability to swing the ball at high speed. Waqar has claimed 373 wickets 87 tests at an average of 23.56 from 1989 to 2003. 

Curtly Ambrose 

Curtly Ambrose, born on September 21, 1963, is the legendary West Indian fast bowler. In 1993, he had taken seven Australian wickets while conceding just one run in a Test match. Ambrose played 98 Tests for West Indies from 1988 to 2000 and has taken 405 wickets at an average of 20.99. 

Dennis Lillee 

Dennis Lillee, July 18, 1949, is one of those fiery Australian pacer will be ever remembered. He began his career as an extremely fast bowler in 1971. But due to numerous stress fractures, his cricket career ended in 1984. During his career, he played 70 Tests and claimed 355 at an average of 23.92. 

Courtney Walsh 

Courtney Walsh, born on October 30, 1962, played for the West Indies from 1984 to 2001. Walsh, the former West Indian skipper, took 519 Test wickets in 132 matches at an average of 24.44. 

Imran Khan 

Imran Khan is one of the greatest cricketers Pakistan has ever seen. He was born on October 5, 1952. This charismatic all rounder has won matches single-handedly for Pakistan on several occasions. In two decades of his playing career, he has taken 362 wickets at average of 22.81. 

Shaun Pollock 

Shaun Maclean Pollock was born on July 16, 1973 and was basically a bowling all-rounder of South African cricket team. Pollock was the first cricketer from his nation to take more than 400 test wickets. He has taken 421 wickets in 108 tests with bowling average of 23.11. 

Jeff Thomson 

Jeffrey Thomson, born on August 16, 1950, is a former Australian fast bowler. Many consider him as one of the most dangerous attacking bowlers in the history of Test cricket. This Aussie pacer played 51 Tests from 1972 to 1985 and claimed 200 wickets at an average of 28.00. 

Kapil Dev 

The cricketer who spearheaded Indian bowling attack for almost 16 years is Kapil Dev. Kapil was nota genuine fast bowler, but he used to maintain perfect line and length. In his career, he has claimed 434 wickets in 131 test matches having a bowling average of 29.64. 

Stuart Broad 

Stuart Broad was born on June 24, 1986, and wanted to become an opening batsman of England. However, he changed his mind at the age of 17 and started concentrating on bowling. Later, Broad emerged as a genuine fast bowler with variety of deliveries in his arsenal. Since making his debut in 2007, the right-arm pacer has taken 427 wickets in 121 Tests at an average of 28.91. 

Shoaib Akhtar 

Shoaib Akhtar, born on August 13, 1975, has delivered the fastest ball (161.3km/h) in the history of cricket to secure his place among the best pacers. He played just 46 Test matches for Pakistan from 1997 to 2007 and has claimed 178 wickets at an average of 25.69. 

Malcolm Maeshall 

Malcolm Maeshall is widely regarded as one of the finest pace bowlers ever to have played in test cricket. This West Indies cricketer has played 81 test matches and has claimed 376 wickets at an average of 20.94. 

Brett Lee 

This is another of the Australian fast bowlers born on November 8, 1976. In 76 tests, Lee has taken 310 wickets with an average of 30.81. 

Allan Donald 

Allan Donald, born on October 20, 1966, normally known as White Lightning, is one of the greatest South African pacers. Donald has taken 330 wickets in 72 tests at an average of 22.25 from 1992 to 2002.  

Thanks for reading! Play fantasy sports and enjoy! 

Fantasy Football – Top 8 Tallest Football Players in The World

In fantasy football of 11Wickets App, you don’t have to be necessarily a high player to perform the best. With average height, you have a lower center of gravity and then are easy to dribble, run, and handle the ball. However, you must be fortunate if you are a footballer and have the height of a basketball player.  

There are many advantages when you’ve got a great height. First, you are a great header. You will take the fantasy premier league ball on the air and score by your head more easily than any other players. If you are a defender, then your penalty box is safer from the high ball situation. Do you believe it? 

Now, let’s see the list of top 8 tallest football players in the world and then you play the fantasy football games.  

Kristof Van Hout – 6 FT 10 IN 

The Belgian goalkeeper turns to 31 years old this year (2019) and is considered to be the tallest goalkeeper in the world. He nearly dominates the area inside the penalty box when the team face a free-kick or corner kick. He also has long legs and arms, which allows him to reach over the corners without much effort.  

Paul Millar – 6 FT 10 IN 

Having the same height with Hout but Millar plays as a striker, instead. He was born in England and played for Deveronvale in Scotland in the last season. He was known to play for Elgin City FC from 2010 to 2014, and the most exciting thing was that the club had to heighten the entrance to fit his height.  

Vanja Iveša – 6 FT 9 IN 

The Croatian footballer is the oldest player in the Croatian First Football League on 17th February 2018, and also holds the third tallest football player in the world. He’s now playing for NK Istra 1961, after serving Elazığspor – a Turkish football club.  

Yang Changpeng -6 FT 8 1⁄2 IN 

Yang was famous for his height in Premier League when he played for Bolton Wanderers in 2006. He was also named as the “Chinese Peter Crouch” as Peter was also the tallest striker in England at that time. Yang played as a forward but didn’t achieve as many good results as Peter. He is the fourth tallest football player in the world. 

Tor Hogne Aarøy – 6 FT 8 1/2 IN 

Aarøy is one of the tallest players in the world but very strong and fast. He also showed up the right time and scored decisive goals. He played an essential role for Aalesunds FK – a club in Norwegian Premier League and performed well in JEF United Chiba of Japanese league. This man is the 5th tallest football player in the world. 

Lacina Traore – 6 FT 8 IN 

Traore is a dangerous striker as he has excellent height, durable body, and fast pace. He can protect the ball and handle smoothly enough in the first touch, not like other tall strikers.  

Costel Pantilimon – 6 FT 8 IN 

Pantilimon was most well-known when he was playing for Manchester City from 2011 to 2014. He was the tallest player in EPL during that time and performed well in the Citizens’ shirt. However, he left the club and moved to Sunderland for two seasons before joining Nottingham Forest. Currently, he is the 7th tallest footballer in the world. 

Kjell Petter Opheim – 6 FT 8 IN 

This goalkeeper comes from Norway, and it seems like many tall players are Norwegian. Opheim gained compliments when he played for Stryn Football and two other big clubs in Norway: Lyn Football and Moss FK. He is recorded as eighth tallest football player in the world. 

Thanks for reading! Play fantasy sports and enjoy! 

Read More:
1. Fantasy Football – 7 Favorite Football Stadiums Across Globe
2. Fantasy Football – Types of Football Pitch Surfaces
3. Fantasy Football – Tale of Fouls in Football Games

Fantasy Football – Types of Football Pitch Surfaces

There are different types of surfaces that fantasy football clubs could choose for their pitch. The decision as to which surface to select can depend on the level of play, surface preference, budget as well as the capability to use for other sports. 

The surfaces available for fantasy premier league pitches can be broken down into three main categories: 

Hybrid Turf 

Hybrid surfaces enable play at the highest tier of fantasy football league games at 11Wickets App for Android/iOS. They combine the positive properties of natural grass with the strength and durability of artificial grass. A hybrid surface will provide a more durable surface than the natural grass alternative and will accommodate more playing hours. However, if you want to use your pitch extensively throughout the week for pitch hire and community use a 3G artificial pitch would be a more suitable, cost-effective option. 

Natural Grass 

Many professional stadiums are required to have a natural grass or hybrid pitch in order for them to be able to compete at the level they do. Natural grass pitches can vary in quality depending on how they are constructed, and the type of seed used, they are ideal for football but can limit fixtures compared to synthetic and hybrid grass as they are reliant on weather conditions as well as extensive maintenance. As well as being synthetic sports specialists we have experts in agronomy who can install and ensure the growth of natural turf for sport.  

Artificial Turf 

Many football clubs opt for artificial surfaces whether it be for their stadium pitch or training facilities. In the English Football, clubs are not permitted to have artificial pitches in their stadiums but can train on them. Many clubs below this level will select artificial surfaces to maximize their playing hours. In Scotland however, clubs at all level of the game are permitted to play on artificial pitches. The types of artificial surfaces for football can be broken down into the following categories: 

– Tufted Pitches- Traditional artificial pitches are manufactured by a process known as tufting, the yarn is punched through a backing membrane and held in place with a special coating. Tufted products can meet the needs of both clubs and educational facilities at an affordable price 

– Woven Pitches- The turf fibres remain upright resulting in the best ball and playing characteristics for rugby and football. In contrast to standard tufted carpets, the weaving process brings together the pile and backing yarns to form the woven turf, offering unrivalled strength and stability. 

Thanks for reading! Play fantasy sports and enjoy! 

Read More:
1. Fantasy Football – 7 Favorite Football Stadiums Across Globe
2. Fantasy Football – 5 Debated Facts of Soccer Balls
3. Fantasy Football – Tale of Fouls in Football Games

Fantasy Football – 5 Debated Facts of Soccer Balls

Soccer or fantasy football at 11Wickets App for Android/iOS users is the world’s most broadly practised sport and has been since ancient times. Thus, it’s pretty fair to assume that the sport’s ball has undergone plenty of modifications and transformations throughout the years. 

While it has a similar origin to the Football, it also has its own unique story. Find out just how little you actually know about fantasy premier league and soccer balls and their distinct lineage through time: 

Ancient Soccer Balls 

Soccer balls or the fantasy football league balls have the most ancient history of all sports balls, so much so that their exact origins can’t even be decided upon. Instead, researchers of the sport have simply come to the conclusion that the sport was somehow played in various parts of the world nearly simultaneously. Four major variations exist in the early history of the soccer ball; one for each of four very different cultures. 

The Chinese created a sort of soccer ball that was basically a thick bunch of animal skin rolled and stuffed together to form a sphere. As for the Egyptians, soccer balls were often constructed primarily of linen pouches filled with seeds. The Mayans and Aztecs made most of their soccer balls from the latex of rubber wood. Finally, the Greeks had a technique for constructing their own soccer balls that was similar to that of the Egyptians in that they used linen pouches; however, their soccer balls were filled with hair instead of seeds.  

Soccer balls used to be more “headstrong” 

Scientists found out that the Maya used severed human heads as soccer balls to play games with when the mood hit them to do so. After all, it’s much easier to get a goal if the goalie doesn’t want the “ball” kissing his hands. 

According to pre-medieval legend, an entire village would try to kick a skull along a path to a nearby village’s square whilst the opposing village would in turn attempt to kick the skull to the first village’s square. If you’re wondering how these joyous games turned out, you should probably note that the only rule for the game was “no manslaughter.” 

Bladders Wrapped in Leather 

Over time, as the sport gained ground throughout the world, balls began to take on a much more generalized form. Hand blown pigs bladders wrapped in leather were utilized as soccer balls, as we mentioned in our article about the History of Footballs. This type of ball dominated for centuries… until 1855: 

Charles Goodyear Soccer Ball 

It was the Charles Goodyear soccer ball (aptly named after its creator) that took the soccer world by storm in 1855. It was made using a singular rubber technology invented by Goodyear himself that is known as vulcanization. This technology allowed rubber to be treated beforehand to rid it of its susceptibility to hot playing temperatures without causing it to lose its bounce. 

Basically, vulcanized rubber was much more solidified and durable than typical rubber and therefore would not melt or become deformed from normal use. This, of course, allowed the game to be played much more effectively and enjoyably than ever before. 

In the first World Cup, two balls were used 

The world’s first soccer cup was held in Uruguay in 1930 with Uruguay competing against Argentina. The teams saw each other’s balls (don’t overthink that statement) and threw a bit of a hissy fit over which one they were to use during the actual match. In the end, they decided to compromise and play the first half of the game with Argentina’s ball before wrapping things up in the game’s second half with Uruguay’s ball. Argentina won the first half with their special ball, but were then beaten by Uruguay (4-2) during the second half after making the agreed-upon switch. 

Thanks for reading! Play fantasy sports and enjoy! 

Read More:
1. Fantasy Football – 7 Favorite Football Stadiums Across Globe
2. Fantasy Football – Amazing History of 3 Football Stadiums
3. Fantasy Football – Tale of Fouls in Football Games