Bradford Beach Soccer Blog

Bradford Beach Soccer League on Fox 6 News

2009-05-28T09:03:00.001-07:00

A day out at Upton Park...

2009-05-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Saturday May 10th 2009, I was in London so decided to go see my beloved West Ham United play against Liverpool in a Barclay's Premier League game. While the result was anything but perfect (a 3-0 drubbing at home), it was good to see the Hammers again.

I also compiled the days event using my pocket Flip camcorder and have edited the best bits below.

I'm forever blowing bubbles...

Got Sand Milwaukee...

2009-04-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

You may have recently seen a bunch of postcard-sized flyers floating around Milwaukee soccer hot spots, displaying a young soccer fan with the words "Got Sand?" tanned on his chest.

Well, that's us, the Bradford Beach Soccer League, getting our name out there. The postcard was the brainchild of Patrick Rich, the VP of the Bradford Beach Soccer League, which was coined one night while slirping on some Lech Premium Polish beer and playing some FIFA on the Nintendo Wii.

"We need a slogan for our soccer league," said Rich, who often sports a savage mustache. "How about Got Sand?"

Much alike the one that first conceived the famous slogan, Got Milk? this was the work of a true genius.

And if you were wondering, the image below is of Patrick Rich himself, and yes the words Got Sand? were actually spray-tanned on his chest. Furthermore, his mustache is real, and it really is laced with sand from Bradford Beach (look closely!)

We filmed the escapade, and we're currently editing the footage so that you can witness "the making of Got Sand?"

All that Patrick needs now is a razor, and not for his mustache....

Bradford Beach Soccer League to Use IGoal...

2009-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be wondering about some of the equipment we'll be using this summer at the Bradford Beach Soccer League in Milwaukee.

One of the most important items in any game of football is the goal! Of course, you can't score without a goal, and selecting the right type of goal for a sand soccer league is vital to its success. After much research and debate, the Bradford Beach Soccer League will be using the IGoal for its upcoming tournament.

The IGoal comes in an array of sizes ranging from the mini (6ft x 4 ft) to the full size adult goal (24ft x 8ft).

Seeing as our Milwaukee beach soccer tournament will be a five versus five (5v5) game, we're opting for the futsal size goal, as our field is also based on the dimensions of the United States Futsal Federation. These goals are 3 meters wide x 2 meters high (9' 10" x 6' 7"), so there should be plenty of room for plenty of goals.

Now, we will tell you that these goals are inflatable, but don't be alarmed as they are solid as a rock. You don't have to worry about these soccer goals being blown away in the wind.

You can watch a demonstration of how these goals are inflated here. And yes, they do come with sandbags (like we need more sand!)

A Buzz Around the World...

2009-03-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

February 20th came and went for most Americans, a day like any other. But something extraordinary happened on that Friday, nearly two weeks ago. Something awe-inspiring stirred the world over. Something caused people to dream the impossible, to hope for change. No, it was not something Barack Obama said. It wasn’t a cease fire in the Middle East. Tibet was not freed; the junta in Myanmar was not deposed. It was much, much more important than that. Bill Shankly would surely agree. February 20th, 2009: tickets for FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa went on sale.

Africa’s first chance to host a tournament, this could be one of the most memorable yet, in all of the timeless tournaments of years gone by. Africa, a continent depicted by the media as a barren wasteland full of poverty and disease, will finally have the opportunity to show the world over its true image. The tournament offers an opportunity to change global perceptions the world over. And though the tournament is hosted by South Africa, the rest of the continent has been celebrating since May 15, 2004 when FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced that Africa would host its first tournament.

The buzz will only increase over the next 463 days until it reaches euphoria, the month-long party, the dancing in the streets. This condition is better known as World Cup fever. And why not be excited? Paraguay is top of the table ahead of Brazil and Argentina in the South American Qualifiers, with Chile also close to making a return to the tournament for the first time since 1998. In Europe, Slovakia tops group 3 and France may fail to qualify in a group that contains Lithuania and the Faroe Islands. In the Asian qualifiers, North Korea hopes to qualify for the first time since 1966, just a point behind their beloved neighbors South Korea. And of course, Africa. The qualifiers are not yet underway, but the region that always brings a surprise will surely not disappoint as all nations hope to compete in their continent’s first tournament. So there may be some new teams competing, but let’s just hope that Sweden can turn things around and qualify.

A West Ham Fan & Borussia Dortmund Fan Bring Milwaukee a Beach Soccer League...

2009-03-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

As the first of many postings to come on the Bradford Beach Soccer Blog, we should probably explain where our loyalties are.

Myself, I'm a West Ham United fan. Born and bred in East London, a short walk from the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park, I root for the Hammers of England's Premier League.

Patrick, a Wisconsinite from Hartford and co-founder of our upcoming soccer league, became a Borussia Dortmund fan after being submerged into the underground world of football hooliganism while visiting Germany a few years back.

Although, we all know the Premiership is superior to its German counterpart, the Bundesliga, I'm not complaining about my colleague Patrick's team choice. Many septic tanks go for the obvious choice once they decide to follow a foreign soccer team. Usually, Manchester United, Liverpool or Chelsea. And if they do venture further abroad its normally, not always, but usually Barcelona, Celtic (who are shite anyhow), A.C. Milan or may be Bayern Munich.

No doubt, all these things and more will be of further discussion and debate during the existance of this blog!

Got Sand Milwaukee?