Supporter Arena is a new football quiz game launched on Facebook that gives supporters the chance to earn real money for their chosen club while competing with each other in rival leagues.

It is a simple but ingenious concept, devised by a development company in Sweden but launched in the UK in order to tap into the world’s most passionate fans.

“We are very excited at the prospect of helping clubs of all sizes at a time when they need it most,” said Stuart Roach, managing director of Supporter Arena Limited.

He added: “The reaction we have had from fans is very encouraging. They love playing the quizzes and are desperate to tackle each other head on to flex their muscles and prove whose fans are the best. Most importantly, they are telling us what they want from the game and what they expect to see. Our launch app is a Beta version and we want to be as open source as possible to create an application the fans want to use.”

Supporter Arena allows fans to play fun football quizzes and earn points which collectively move their chosen club up their league table. Correct answers also earn the user Arena Dollars, which can be used to create a virtual stadium in their favourite club’s colours and packed with enough fans and facilities to make their rival users green with envy.

What’s more, when supporters play sponsored quizzes, they earn real money for their chosen club, creating potentially lucrative new revenue streams for those clubs.

“The feedback in Sweden has been remarkable and it’s clear there is an appetite amongst fans to become true supporters of their club,” said Roach, a former senior product manager with BBC Sport interactive.

He added: “They also want something more socially stimulating from gaming and a sense of social worth, so engaging with something that is socially responsible and raises money for clubs or communities is appealing. This app is unique and it gives fans who cannot regularly attend games to support their club financially, without spending a penny.”

Supporter Arena launched in the UK on Monday 1st November 2010. The game is currently only available on Facebook, though an iPhone app will be launched later this month.

Play Supporter Arena now

Football Manager 2011

News of Wayne Rooney’s decision to leave Manchester United, the court ruling that Liverpool Football Club could be sold from beneath the feet of its owners and Gordon Strachan walking out on Middlesbrough reminded me of that often used Jimmy Greave’s expression ‘It’s a funny old game.’

Perhaps we football fans take it all far to seriously, but we all have our own ideas about how our football club should be run, who we should buy and sell and how we would motivate the players if we were in charge.

So thank god for Football Manager 2011, the latest and greatest edition of the top selling game that promises even more realistic drama with its latest features.

Incredibly this edition includes such things as real-time contract negotiations for more realistic dealings with agents, a new set-piece creator, and a completely overhauled training system.

Football Manager 2011 will be in the shops from November 5th but Mirror Football readers will have access to the game before anyone else on Thursday October 21st.

Fans are invited to visit the Mirror Football website on Thursday to claim their free download code and start enjoying the game long before its official release.

Take advantage of this special offer and start running own your club in the way that you feel fit, if you are a United fan you will probably be more concerned about finding a replacement for Wayne Rooney than trying to talk him into signing a new contract.

Or maybe you feel that a couple of hours of the ‘hair dryer’ treatment might bring him to his senses. Either way, with Football Manager you are in charge and the decisions are yours and yours alone.

mirror football

If that sounds to real for you, maybe the Mirror Football Goals will be more up your street, a free facebook fantasy five-a-side game in association with Renault that allows you to pick a team, set up a mini league and invite your mates to join.

Be sure to take advantage of this exclusive offer and get Football Manager in advance with Mirror Football tomorrow, Thursday October 21st.

Sponsored Post

Following the devastating 4-1 defeat in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in June, Shilton has teamed up with Holiday Inn to mark the relaunch of its hotels and give its guests and loyal football fans the opportunity to show the Germans that England does indeed have what it takes to claim the trophy.

Holiday Inn and Shilton are searching for an English amateur five-a-side team with a real passion for the game, to represent their country against Germany’s own football marvel, Horst Hrubesch, and his equivalent German team in the ultimate rematch.  This event will take place on Monday 8 November 2010 in London.

Shilton comments: “This is our big chance to show Germany what we’re made of and I’m taking this as a personal mission to bring the glory back to England. I’m looking for teams with stamina, skill and real belief that they can do this. I need a team who wants to win as much as I do and is willing to give 100%. In return, I’ll train and manage them and make sure they’re well prepared for the big day.”

Both teams and the referee will be recruited via a dedicated Facebook competition page and entries will be open to a public vote. Each nation’s three favourite team entries will be passed to their respective football legends to pick the winners, who will each receive a day on the pitch with their legend, including a training session and management at the rematch itself, plus exclusive signed football kit.

Without goal line technology, and ‘that’ controversial incident in South Africa, it is imperative the rematch is judged fairly, so Holiday Inn is also recruiting an equally passionate amateur accredited referee from anywhere in the UK and Ireland – except for England – to keep a close eye on the 40-minute proceedings.

The competition is now open. To enter your five-a-side team or to enter as a referee, visit the Facebook/Holiday Inn page. You can also use this link to vote for your favourite team or referee and help them stand the best chance of winning. The competition closes on 28 October 2010, however early entries are encouraged in order to get as many votes as possible, maximising the chances of winning.

Betting is a multi-faceted business, and it is quite possible to pay for tips and forecasts. Luckily for the novice -  like-minded amateurs happy to pass on their tips and strategies for free abound on the internet. Those that are hosted by true devotees of football and of the extraordinary vagaries among the results to merge each week are the best bet!

Sometimes by reading bloggers on the web such as ‘English Football’ blog, ‘Footieblogblog’ and ‘Caughtoffside’, to name but a few, you can pick up helpful nuggets of information. Most such sites are primarily the personal blogs of straightforward diehard football fans.

Of course, what betting is about is probability. The mathematical mind is the best one when it comes to weighing up just how likely a specified outcome is. It is bookmakers who calculate what odd to offer, and these, naturally enough, are slanted to benefit the bookies.  As a punter it is not your job to work out odds, but it helps greatly if you can read them intelligently in order to spot the more favourable ones. Many online sports betting websites offer free help with this.

The exciting thing of course is the fact that odds alter over time (as the match approaches) with the fluctuating behaviour of punters as they put on their bets, which is why the timing of bets is so crucial, and nail-biting! Never lose sight of luck’s part in the nerve-racking process and try hard to keep the fun factor in focus – and don’t lose your shirt!

The podcast includes Huddersfield Town boss Lee Clarke discussing his sides flying start in League One and the input Clarke has made into modernising the clubs scouting system.

BBC Pundit Steve Claridge is in the studio discussing the importance of mental preparation, how best to settle at a club (he’s had a few) and the effect of Lactic acid on his 43 year old legs.

Iffy Onuora and Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman also join on the phone.

This season Mark Clemmit will be visiting grounds across the country uncovering the latest news and views from all 72 Football League clubs. The podcast will be available to download FREE every Wednesday from The Football League website, iTunes and Coke Zone.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) have launched a new website refworld.com to bring football fans closer to the men in the middle. It has been developed to provide referee information to everyone involved in football, the supporters, the managers, the referees and of course the players themselves – at all levels of the game.

PGMOL are challenging fans to sign up to the site to play their Refworld Quiz game – can you make the correct decision at the crucial moment? A whole host of prizes are on offer, and players can set up mini-leagues to compete with their mates, and demonstrate their expert knowledge for bragging rights.

Try it for yourselves at RefWorld quiz, It is not as easy as you might imagine!

As well as showing the latest news, the site includes up to date and detailed referee profiles, details of official appointments and professional verdicts, detailed directives and the full written Laws of the Game.

The Football League Cup

To celebrate the competition’s Golden Anniversary, The Football League is asking fans to nominate their favourite League Cup moments, with 50 pairs of tickets up for grabs for this season’s Carling Cup Final. The League will reveal the all-time Top 50 League Cup moments in the lead-up to the match at Wembley Stadium on February 28.

Whether its Ben Foster’s iPod inspired penalty heroics in last season’s final, Ronnie Whelan’s glorious curling winner for Liverpool in 1983, Dennis Tueart’s stunning overhead kick for Manchester City in 1976 or Division Three Swindon Town’s famous win over Arsenal in the Don Rogers Final of 1969, The League wants to hear your views.

So get your thinking caps on, I am going for the classic 1967 final when QPR came back from two down to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in the first league cup to be held at Wembley.

Send your nominations for your special League Cup moments to;  leaguecup@football-league.co.uk

Texaco Fantasy Football

Texaco Fantasy Football returns for it’s second season following the great success of last year’s competition which saw over 40,000 managers take part. With the game now enjoying a number of improvements, 20,000 players have already signed up for this year season.

Texaco Fantasy Football is now live and is absolutely free to play. Budding managers will be given a budget of £10 million to select their best team; including being able to choose a Texaco Captain whose points score is doubled throughout their games. You decide whether to play 4-4-2 or 5-3-2, and have the chance to regularly make transfers throughout the season.

There are some fantastic ‘money can’t buy’ prizes on offer; prizes include a £500 free fuel voucher, free tickets to the Coca-Cola Championship Play-Off Final and the chance to meet the Club Manager of the team you support! You can also win a behind the scenes tour of a Championship Club, as well as other monthly prizes. Players get the chance to challenge their mates in their own Private League as well so take part today and get in on the action!

You can sign-up and select a Texaco Fantasy Football  Championship Dream Team now.

Be careful, it’s great fun but very addictive!

You can also enter a free competition to win free tickets to the UEFA Euro 2008 football tournament next month.