Barclays League Live: it's a lot more than watching a couple of games on Africa's biggest screen

So often you get invited to football functions that bore you to tears. Not the British Premier League's new fan zone concept: Barclays League Live. Zoo Lake near Johannesburg today was seriously impressive: it will be open from noon tomorrow and Sunday FREE for fans who want to see live British action on the big screen - but what surprised me was: there's MUCH, MUCH more than mere spectating to be done.

With Chelsea's Marcel Desailly and former England and
Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler at Zoo Lake today

For a start, some of our fooballing superheroes will be wandering about. French World Cup winner Marcel Desailly and former England and Liverpool star Robbie Fowler were both there today - tomorrow former Bolton, Charlton and Orlando Pirates African Champions League winner Mark Fish and ex-Leeds United hero Lucas Radebe will join the fans too.

It's a seriously impressive Absa-sponsored event (their banking partners Barclays sponsor the British Premier League) and there are plans to hold a similar event for South Africa's Absa PSL within the next year.

Chelsea's Petr Cech penalty challenge: Robbie Fowler shot
a 25-pointer first time. I tried six times and failed. Dismally

Though the Barclays League is beamed to 804 MILLION homes across 212 nations EVERY WEEK, not everyone is in entirely in love with British football in South Africa.

Former Kaizer Chiefs legend and SuperSport football analyst Shakes Kungwane tweeted me to say he didn't like the Premier League being shoved down his throat - and there are a growing number of La Liga and Bundesliga fans among the younger generation of football fans.

On top of that, the AmaKhosi are playing AS Vita in a vital African Champions League second round, second leg clash tomorrow night at Soccer City, trying to overcome a 3-0 away deficit while ailing Arsenal are airing live at Zoo Lake against Manchester City. And we've got Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows kicking off the Original Soweto Derby in Soweto at 6pm, an hour after Crystal Palace kick-off against Chelsea 5000 miles north.

But South African football - particularly the PSL - can learn a lot from what the Premier League have dared to do at Zoo Lake. PSL attendances are generally poor-to-pitiful, there is little on offer in the way of family entertainment or catering at our grounds. Only the big clubs - Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns - really draw crowds and the pull of SuperSport's live British football is a tempting alternative to watching live in the PSL stands.

And of course, we get to watch MORE live Barclays League football in South Africa than the British themselves, who are denied live coverage at 5pm on a Saturday afternoon, something the PSL should consider here.

Ultimately it's a battle for football-shaped hearts and minds. No expense spared. South Africa is one of the oldest and most lucrative markets for the British game, with replica Liverpool and Manchester United shirts present on every street in every corner of this diverse Rainbow Nation.

But the market is growing old. To maintain their traditional dominance over Spain and Germany's technically superior game, an exhibition at Zoo Lake is an obvious step for the Barclays League. Quite how much all this cost the Premier League and/or their banking sponsors, I've no idea. But it's got to be millions of rands, if not pounds. Dozens of Premier League officials, former players and commercial people have flown in to Oliver Tambo over the last 48 hours. Cardiff City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland all have exhibits around the Zoo Lake Sports Club ground offering a range of football skills games - shooting, passing, penalty-taking, dribbling are all tested, assessed and ranked. The kids will love it.

In the centre of the ground, there's a five-a-side pitch and - obviously - there's plenty of scope for drinks and food spotted around the 100m square big screen - it's the largest television in Africa right now and has its own grandstand.

Glittering prize: the Premier League trophy at Zoo Lake

There are less strenuous pursuits too - one tent offers the glittering Premier League trophy with voice of football Martin Tyler talking us through the history of the competition since 1992 - and you can snap a picture with the trophy and your favourite team - to be emailed to you after a brief registration process.

The Premier League fan zone also offers a computerised tent where you can pick your own club's dream team if you want a break from the football action. Seriously, it's a family day out, even if the missus and the daughters aren't all kitted up.

For the football fanatcis the games being screened are: David Moyes' struggling Manchester United against Aston Villa at 2pm tomorrow. Then South Africa's own Kagiso Dikgacoi could be in action when relegation-threatened Crystal Palace attempt to stop the Chelsea juggernaut at 5pm. At 7pm, Arsenal - beaten 6-0 by Chelsea last week and held 2-2 by Swansea on Tuesday - have the toughest task of all attempting to stop Manchester City's millionaires from closing in on the top.

On Sunday, struggling Fulham face South African Steven Pienaar's in-form Everton at 3.30pm before title-chasing Liverpool face Tottenham Hotspur at 6pm.

 Look, nobody's saying the Barclays League is better than our own PSL, La Liga or the Bundesliga. But it is eminently watchable - almost a habit among some sectors of the football-speaking community.

If you're NOT going to a live PSL game tomorrow and/or Sunday (and that's most of you), it's worth a go. And you can take the whole family, boots and all.

BOLLOCKZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. 

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news…email me on nealcollins@hotmail.com and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.

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Gavin Hunt on Bollockz: I can't promise Wits will finished ahead of SuperSport but I have got a Sunderland star coming over

GAVIN HUNT, three-time winner of the PSL title with SuperSport United, has no doubt he can achieve success with Bidvest Wits as he prepares for his first season in charge with the SuperBoys.

In a wide-ranging interview to launch my new show “BOLLOCKZ” on Ballz visual radio, Hunt revealed the link between his new club and Sunderland – and said a centre-back is on his way from the north-east of England to reinforce his squad at Wits next season.

On his long-awaited departure from SuperSport, Hunt said: “It was tough hey, this thing came about. I’ve got ideas of what they want to do and how they want to do it. But I was very comfortable at SuperSport, I had great support there, a good set-up.

 “I can’t promise we’ll finish above SuperSport… Obviously, the owners of Wits want me to do better!

“There’s a tie up, a link with Sunderland, I’m going to be going over there and have a look around. Their manager Paulo di Canio might give me a hard time!

“Listen, I’m a West Ham supporter, I saw him play for them a couple of times. He’s passionate about it, I’m sure he’ll do well with them.

“I’ve got a centre-back coming, a Sunderland centre-back. We’ll see how he does at Wits. 

 “I had a goalkeeper from England at SuperSport, it was a bloody disaster! He was at the end of his career. He did well but it turned out bad.

 “But there’s a lot of players who go from academy football and can’t make it in England. They’re very good players.

“In the 60s and 70s, we had a lot of English players in South Africa. I just feel there’s a huge gap for academy players from England to come here and earn a great living and enjoy a good lifestyle playing out here.

“At Hellenic when I was in the juniors, Gordon Banks, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Alan Ball, England internationals, all played under Budgie Byrne my father-in-law!

“But you have to be careful. We’ve got a link with Sunderland, but what does it really mean? I was involved with the Ajax Amsterdam think at Seven Stars when I first started.

“It’s very difficult for players to switch countries. You’ve got be special. Poor Bongani Khumalo hasn’t made it has he?”

BOLLOCKZ! My new show on www.ballz.co.uk. Tune in by live stream or app, from anywhere in the world, 10am-noon every Thursday. Follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol and see our backers www.topodds.com for the latest sports betting!

Not a blog, a diary: eNCAnews video, "Bollockz" launches on Ballz, Bidvest on the Sunderland shirt and Umlazi Bush Bucks revisited!

HERE'S the eNCAnews interview about the Ethiopia situation we recorded on July 17... before Danny Jordaan comments about the situation yesterday. It offers a brief explanation of how the story broke.We await the FIFA verdict with several options now open.

Will it be THREE points or SIX the Walya Antelopes lose? Gordon Igesund, the Bafana coach, told me on my brand new Ballz radio show this morning that "at least three points" will be docked from Group A leaders Ethiopia for playing ineligible Minyahile Teshome Beyene.

The Ethiopian Football Federation admitted to the "grave blunder" when they used twice-booked Beyene against Botswana a fortnight ago - as my blog http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2013/06/ethiopia-full-sorry-truth-about-blunder.html reveals.

But SAFA vice-president Jordaan told me over lunch yesterday - http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2013/06/dannys-double-jeopardy-why-ethiopia.html?showComment=1371658298569 - that he believes they could be docked further points for using Beyene for the first 70 minutes in their dramatic 2-1 win over Bafana last Sunday.

Jordaan, who knows a thing or two about the workings of FIFA after running a highly-successful World Cup in South Africa three years ago, reckons: "A played is suspended until he has served his ban," but EFF sources are now claiming they had "permission from FIFA" to play Beyene against South Africa.

Sunderland's new kit:
Phetolo Patleswana (@jibu_za)
sent this via twitter

Three videos from today's launch of my new show "BOLLOCKZ" on Ballz radio this morning will be coming soon. With station founder Darren Scott holding my hand through my first day, I talked to new Bidvest Wits coach GAVIN HUNT - who revealed he is signing a "young Sunderland centre-half" to replace the departed Bafana and Portsmouth legend Aaron Mokoena. This follows the Clever Boys' link with the English Premier League club - see their new Black Cats shirt with the Bidvest logo (right).

Hunt has several more big names to unveil before the season starts - I'm privy to one or two major signings but let's leave that for a few weeks.

I also got hold of SuperSport United's new coach CAVIN JOHNSON just before he boarded a flight to Durban with his new club officials. As you may have read here http://neal-collins.blogspot.com/2013/06/miracle-worker-cavin-johnson-leaves.html, Cavin finally made the appointment official yesterday. He confirmed the arrival of Thuso Phala from his old club Platinum Stars plus AmaTuks impressive Senegalese striker Mame Niang. And when I asked him if he was hopeful of finishing in a top four place, Cavin laughed: "Very confident!"

Bafana Bafana boss GORDON IGESUND came out of a meeting to close the show - he talked about the ups and downs of a week which started on Sunday with shattered World Cup dreams but may end with qualification assured if FIFA decide to dock Ethiopia the full six points.

Gordon said: "I won't be making major changes for the final Group A game against Botswana here on September 6. I've got the COSAFA Cup to try out some new faces."

I'll be posting videos of those interviews later. As for ROGER DE SA my opening no-show, I've only got an SMS: "Sorry, training!" We'll have a go at getting the under-pressure Orlando Pirates coach on air next week.

Thanks to the support from my followers on Facebook and Twitter - now a combined army of over 11,000 - and if you missed it this morning, listen to the show every Thursday 10am-noon on www.ballz.co.za or download their app! Oh, and this from @mycousin1975 (Chris, a Geordie with African roots) on twitter after mention was made of my old club Umlazi Bush Bucks. I've identified a few of the characters:

Blast from the past: the Umlazi Bush Bucks title winning outfit from
circa 1985, featuring coach Clive Barker, owner Lawrence "Big Bear"
Ngubane (right), I think the goalkeeper was called Dave Watterson,
big signing from Wits at the time, Mark Tovey front right, and I reckon
the bloke next to big, beardie Brummie de Leur is Chilean Raul Gonzalez,
whose son Mark Dennis Gonzalez (named after Tovey and Dennis Wickes
(front) went on to play for Liverpool and Chile at 2010 World Cup!

Battle of the Gunslingers: Wilshere the kid has the edge over Vieira the veteran... but City win, Pompey lose their Grant

MANCHESTER CITY'S predictable 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers, courtesy of a Carlos Tevez penalty and an Emmanuel Adebayor clincher, equally predictably left Owen Coyle fuming.

But those of us of an north London bent were more intrigued by the midfield battle of Gunslingers: the veteran Patrick Vieira, recently arrived at Eastlands from Inter Milan, against Luke Wilshere, on loan from Vieira's old club Arsenal.

French World Cup-winner Vieira, born in Senegal 33 years ago, still has the height but lacks the legs of his Arsenal heydays next to Emmanuel Petit and Gilberto Silva. He looked, in his second appearance back in the Premier League, like the fire which once blazed so brightly had gone out.

Yet there he was, shuffling around the pitch ahead of the superb Steve Ireland. Curious.

Wilshere, making his first start for Bolton, was dynamic, busy and feisty as he eagerly sought to help Wanderers recover from the early penalty.

It came when the excellent Adam Johnson, the former Middlesbrough winger with one eye on a shock place in England's World Cup squad, was brought down by Paul Robinson.

But in the end it was Vieira's inch-perfect long-ball for another former Arsenal man, Emmanuel Adebayor, that clinched it as the Togo striker, caught up in the Cabinda shootings, made it 2-0 with a brilliant finish.

And that was it. Game, set and match to Vieira, despite his advancing years. Shortly afterwards Wilshere was taken off in the 77th minute - with Andy Gray admitting on Sky: "He brings quality to this side. He's a neat, tidy footballer."

Makes you wonder why the young Englishman isn't still at the Emirates Stadium playing ahead of expensive foreign non-entities like Denilson, Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri. But who am I to tell Arsene Wenger how to pick his side?

Vieira said: "It was hard but do I look that old? Obviously we're strong enough to finish in the top four."

Coyle, who abandoned Burnley for Bolton in January, felt his side were denied two penalties and claimed: "All the decisions went against us."

At Portsmouth, boss Avram Grant was sent off in their 1-1 draw against Sunderland. Grant, caught up in a Thai Massage row in recent days, rubbed referee Kevin Friend up the wrong way after seeing Ricardo Rocha sent off.

Friend originally showed Algerian Hassan Yebda the red card for the challenge which led to Darren Bent's goal (above) from the penalty spot - but, as a true Friend should do, he did the right thing and sent off the right man. But Grant was fuming and his half-time rant was enough to consign him to the grandstand, where he struggled to find a seat.

Sunderland had Cattermole sent off in the second half but even with ten versus ten, rock-bottom Pompey, facing a winding-up order today, couldn't find the net.

It was only when David Mayler's dismissal left Sunderland with nine they found the space for Jamie O'Hara to set up Aruna Dindane for the late, late equaliser.

Grant gathered his players in a huddle at the whistle and said: "I cannot fight against all the world."

Fulham had few problems, scoring three without reply against Burnley, much to my old coach Roy Hodgson's relief. Danny Murphy, David Elm and Bobby "Bobatov" Zamora got the goals at Craven Cottage.

Hardly a shock result though. Burnley last triumphed at Fulham when they were both Third Division clubs in October, 1980. Burnley's first scorer in a 2-0 win that night was an 18-year-old Brian Laws - now a very worried manager on the way home to Turf Moor.

At the JJB, Wigan went ahead through Paul Scharner but Tuncay levelled for Stoke in a 1-1 draw.

Oh, and what about the much-neglected Johnsons Paints Northern final? Leeds, slowly subsiding after their FA Cup shock over Manchester United, contrived to lose it and Carlisle will go to Wembley despite losing the match 3-2 on the night.

That result left the tie at 4-4 after extra-time and Carlisle won the penalty shoot-out 6-5 in sudden-death with defender Shane Lowry, on loan from Aston Villa, having the crucial spot-kick blocked by Adam Collin.

Greg Abbott, clearly in shock, said afterwards: "We have competed against a massive club and won. The penalty shoot-out was pretty scary but that's Carlisle all over."

Southampton join them in the final after being MK Dons 3-1 in the Southern Final at St Mary's to take the tie 4-1 on aggregate.

Best story of the night? West Brom - 2-0 winners against Scunthorpe - went top of the Championship on goal difference from Newcastle, beaten 3-0, yes 3-0 at Derby. What? The Rams were 18th in the table! Surely the Toon can't mess up their promotion charge now?