Judgement Day for London Football Teams

Hodgson Leads Fulham to Promised Land

Roy Hodgson, the Fulham FC manager, is considered something of a messiah at Craven Cottage, having transformed the West London club from relegation fodder to Europa League finalists in a little over two seasons.

Last night, in front of a partisan crowd at their picturesque stadium on the banks of the River Thames, Fulham defeated Hamburg 2-1 in the Europa League Semi-Final, second leg, to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory, and earn a place in the final on 12th May against Atlético Madrid.

There were wild scenes of celebration at the Cottage from the majority of the 27,500 crowd, difficult to put into words, as Fulham battled back from 1-0 down, knowing they needed to score twice in the final 20 minutes, and like so many times under the guidance of Hodgson, they overcame the odds, and with late goals from Welshman Simon Davies, and Hungarian Zoltan Gera, they passed the test. Only this time it was different prize. Fulham had never reached a European final before since their formation in 1879, in fact their only ever major trophy final was back in 1975, the Cottagers suffering a 2-0 defeat to London rivals West Ham at Wembley Stadium.

For a relatively small London club to reach one of the two major European finals is a monumental achievement in itself, yet the accolades don't stop there. Fulham are the sole British team left in European competition this season, and so will fly the flag in the HSH Nordbank Arena with most of the island behind them.

For the modest Hodgson, last night, there was a brief foray onto the pitch before leaving the field so the players could lap up the glory. Hodgson is a man of great humility, and one whose reputation as a successful football manager is gaining widespread weight, after a colourful managerial career mainly spent abroad. The whispers of a future England manager to one day succeed Fabio Capello have already started.

For Fulham fans, they have seen a modern-day miracle, journeying from the fourth tier of English football, through the leagues to the Premiership, and now into a major European final. Win or lose in the final, the Londoners have already been lead from the darkness and into the light.

NEW EVENT - Covent Garden May Fayre

A great event for all the family, coming up on Sunday 9th May, is the Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppet Festival - a celebration of all things Punch and Judy - with puppeteer performers from around the UK coming to London for FREE live performances.

Read more about the Covent Garden May Fayre at:

http://www.londonevents2010.com/covent-garden-fayre.html

Fantastic events in London this week

Within summer upon us, the big London events are starting to roll in!

This week in the capital, you can look forward to a feast of festivals, exhibitions and shows, including: London Book Fair, London Alternative Fashion Week, London Burlesque Festival, St. George's Day in London, London Fan Festival, Careers and Jobs Live, London Marathon Exhibition and London East End Film Festival.

For a full list of the top London events in April 2010, visit:

http://www.londonevents2010.com/search-london-events-april-2010.html

Also added to the website this week:

London Events Jobs (updated daily)

London Hotel Deals (updated daily)

A Big Weekend for London's Football Teams

The 2009/2010 football season is reaching a nail-biting climax, with a host of teams from London battling for silverware, stepping up promotion pursuits or desperately clawing away from their respective relegation zones. Here's a preview of Saturday's action, plus a list of the weekend's football fixtures involving teams from London.

Saturday sees FA Cup finalists Chelsea, four points clear of current champions Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, travel to White Hart Lane for a massive London derby against Champions League Contenders Tottenham. The other half of West London's Premier League contingent, Fulham, who have shocked many by reaching the UEFA Cup semi-finals, are looking to secure a mid-table finish, and have a home match against Wolves. On Sunday, Arsenal travel to Wigan needing three points to keep alive their flickering hopes of winning the title.

In the Football League Championship, Crystal Palace are just a point outside the relegation zone as they travel north to face Derby County. Queens Park Rangers lie 18th in the table, the highest-placed London side in the division, and with relegation still a possibility they will hope for a good result at home to play-off outfit Cardiff City.

Promotion to the Championship is Millwall's objective, but their 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield last night means The Lions stay 3rd in Football League One, just a point behind Leeds United whose game in hand today sees the Yorkshire side away to Gillingham. Charlton can still gain automatic promotion, however that desire will be tested today when they host league leaders Norwich City. Elsewhere, struggling Leyton Orient face a vital home match against already-relegated Stockport County, and mid-table Brentford travel to Bristol Rovers.

Dagenham and Redbridge are just two points outside the Football League Two play-off zone, and need all three points as they host Burton Albion, while Barnet can all-but-guarantee their survival with maximum points at Bradford City.

This weekend's Football League fixtures involving London teams:

Premier League:

FULHAM v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Saturday, 3pm)

TOTTENHAM v CHELSEA (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Wigan Athletic v ARSENAL (Sunday, 1.30pm)

Football League Championship:

Derby County v CRYSTAL PALACE (Saturday, 3pm)

QUEENS PARK RANGERS v Cardiff City (Saturday, 3pm)

Football League One:

Bristol Rovers v BRENTFORD (Saturday, 3pm)

CHARLTON ATHLETIC v Norwich City (Saturday, 3pm)

LEYTON ORIENT v Stockport County (Saturday, 3pm)

Football League Two:

Bradford City v BARNET (Saturday, 3pm)

DAGENHAM AND REDBRIDGE v Burton Albion (Saturday, 3pm)

For top London event listings, visit:

www.londonevents2010.com

Get ready for Summer in London!

After a long cold winter, summer has finally arrived in London, and with it comes a fantastic mix of events ranging from marathons, boat and land races, key sporting finals, music tours and carnivals in London's lush green parks.

The first significant London event of the summer has come and gone, with Cambridge University winning the 156th London Boat Race. Gone too, is the world famous London Ideal Home Show - the pinnacle of the home interior design circuit. But fear not, oh residents and tourists, for the best is yet to come to London this summer!

Do any of these take your fancy?

London Book Fair, London Burlesque Festival, London Marathon Exhibition, Internet World, City of London Festival, Grand Designs Live, Royal Windsor Horse Show, FA Cup Final and Football League Play-Off Finals, London Wine Festival, Chelsea Flower Show, London Combat Show, London Wine Festival, London Clothes Show, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London Pride, Green Day Live at Wembley, London Architecture Festival, London to Brighton Bike Ride, Henley Royal Regatta... Take note, this is only April-June!

For a full list of London events this summer, go to:

http://www.londonevents2010.com/london-events-summer-2010.html

Pompey Meet Chelsea in David-and-Goliath FA Cup Final

The 2010 FA Cup Final is set to be a 'David-and-Goliath' affair, as FA Cup holders and Premier League leaders Chelsea face 2008 winners Portsmouth (who were relegated at the weekend) on May 15th at Wembley Stadium in London.

The story of Portsmouth's journey back to the FA Cup Final, embodies the very ideals of the world's most famous domestic club football competition, namely that an underdog can overcome the odds to achieve the seemingly impossible. And relegation from the Premier League is not the peak of Pompey's worries, for the South Coast club remain within the darkened cloud of financial administration, an event many believe was triggered directly by their FA Cup Final success two years ago. In Israeli manager Avram Grant, Pompey have a man who may just be looking for revenge, having lead Chelsea to within a whisker of both the Premier League title in 2008 and a penalty kick of the Champions League title the same year, only to be sacked at the end of the season for winning neither.

In stark contrast to Portsmouth, for Chelsea life is good. Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti has guided the cash-rich West Londoners to within touching distance of a 3rd Premier League championship since Blues' owner Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich took command at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are the overwhelming favourites, having swept away all major tournaments before them this season, save for the Champions League where Avram Grant remains the club's most successful manager. And few would bet against Chelsea making it a League and Cup double when they meet Portsmouth at a packed Wembley Stadium on May 15th.

But that is the inherent beauty of this romantic FA Cup knock-out tournament, where England's lowest-rankest teams do battle for the chance to play a giant. The FA Cup Final will attract a 90,000 capacity crowd, and millions more around the world on radios and televisions - and as the history of a competition that began life in 1872 has told us time and time again - anything can happen in the FA Cup!

For more on the FA Cup Final, plus 200 top London events:

http://www.londonevents2010.com