On the morning after the Tartan Armys invasion of Wembley, dozens of weary Scotsmen and approximately 10,000 beer cans lay strewn across Trafalgar Square - the traditional gathering point for any London-based football celebration. Following a very successful preseason for the Barclays Premier League (as clubs criss-crossed the planet delivering the BPL eulogy to the faithful), dont be surprised if you catch CEO Richard Scudamore sipping champagne from those very same Trafalgar Square fountains this weekend. Whist the debate rages on regarding the collateral damage caused to the national team - due to the league wide preference to import talent at the cost of providing top flight competitive football for English players - the BPLs global footprint continues to enlarge. Earlier this month, the well-regarded sportingIntelligence.com provided a statistical breakdown of all BPL players nation of origin. English-born players now represent less than 37 per cent of the overall talent pool in a season where we will see the very first Kenyan play in the Barclays Premier League - Southamptons Victor Wanyama. Outside of the four home nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Wanyamas signing means the East African nation of Kenya will become the 100th different nation to have a player ply his trade in the BPL since the league was formed back in 1992. To understand how extremely popular and emotionally attached the locals are to their favourite club, one only had to witness scenes this summer as teams jetted into destinations like Jakarta, Bangkok, Sydney and Durban. Then when you factor in clubs who toured the U.S., its hardly surprising to read one UK newspaper claim the 20 BPL teams collectively racked up over 200,000 Air Miles. In other words, the equivalent of circumnavigating the globe eight times this pre-season. Although this will be the very first season we wont witness Sir Alex prowling the touchline in search of prey, the storylines will compel soccer fans across the globe to gather round their TV sets in record numbers every weekend between now and mid-May. The Barclays Premier League is now screened live in more countries than there are member states of the United Nations. Coincidentally this comes in a season where TV monitors will play an active role this season. My how Goal Line Technology will miss the worlds most famous Scotsman! Following the IFABs decision back in March to allow Goal Line Technology in football - Hawkeye, one of the two systems FIFA approved, has been installed this summer at all BPL stadiums. By the time beautiful B.C. fully awakes Saturday morning, we may have already witnessed the very first instance in world club football the video replay monitor will be the determinant on whether a ball fully crossed the line. Although very few disputed goal calls occur in any one season, it can only be a matter of time before GLT replaces AVB on the back pages of our newspapers. As for the debate over whether David Moyes can replicate the unprecedented success and riches his predecessor bestowed on Manchester United? If the stock market is any indicator, it would seem so. Ticker symbol MANU has gained over 10 per cent since the ex-Everton manager took over at Old Trafford on Canada Day. Speaking of splashing the cash (as opposed to the conversation settling on which one of the big names), outrageously-priced new players will dominate the BPL this season as the focus has been on the pending departures of Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney. With every passing day and only 17 more sleeps until the transfer window closes, there stands a greater probability that Crystal Palace will win the title this season than these so-termed want away players all getting their wish this offseason. Of the top clubs garnering success in the transfer market by doing their shopping early and often, Manchester City stand head and shoulders above all other contenders. Cesc Fabregas still remains elusive for the champions and Jose Mourinho admitted telling fibs about whether or not Chelsea will table a third bid for Rooney. But lets just hope for the sake of his health that Arsene Wenger has more success at the grocery store then he does in the transfer market. Ironically, the only manager in the BPL with an economics degree seems with each passing summer to become less capable of attracting the highest calibre players to the Emirates. Ferguson proved you could win with youngsters, but the manager who has bought more promising youngsters than any other manger in BPL history has yet to mould a winning team round that philosophy. Wenger cant ever be accused of not adding to his clubs bottom line. No one in England develops and then sells on their best players quite as effectively as the 63-year old Frenchmen who is just about to embark on a ninth season without any type of trophy. To me, the best story of this preseason hails from highly unfashionable Stoke. As BPL clubs continue to increase their revenues domestically and globally as they look to squeeze every last penny, baht or rupee from their fans - the club which was formed in 1863 when they became only the second-ever professional football club in existence are picking up the entire travel tab for their 3,000 supporters who will make the journey to Anfield Saturday morning. Yes - money will continue to dominate and players salaries will increase to yet more record levels, but how comforting it is to know that at least one club is not only recognizing and paying lip service to the financial sacrifice their supporters are willing to endure - but they are actually doing something about it? Something tells me when the pictures from Anfield this weekend are boomed into living rooms, roadside tea shops and shanty towns across the globe, Stoke City will have cut a swathe into that gap they currently have with the champions who claim 659 million followers worldwide. Kicking Off with Arsenal v Aston Villa Saturday at 10:00am TSN Radio is your BPL home this season.Broadcast schedule available here: http://www.tsn.ca/toronto/feature/?fid=103193 You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Miles Boykin Youth Jersey .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. Iman Marshall Womens Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.cheapravensshoponline.com/Youth-trace-mcsorley-ravens-jersey/ . "I dont know that were close," said general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "I just think, right now, the acquisition cost just doesnt work for us right now. I dont know if I can quantify how far off or things like that that they might be but I would say we continue to have dialogue. Mark Andrews Jersey . Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. Ben Powers Ravens Jersey . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. The Buffalo Sabres are still having trouble putting the puck in the net and have yet to win consecutive home games this season.Their next opponent could be coming to western New York at the right time as the Sabres wrap up their season series against the Calgary Flames on Monday night.Buffalo (6-8-4) enters the contest after surprising the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins with a 2-1 shootout win Saturday behind Cal OReillys goal in the tiebreaker and 46 saves through overtime from backup Anders Nilsson.The Sabres fell 4-3 in overtime to the Flames on Oct. 18 in Calgary, but results in Buffalo have been far different for almost 20 years. Starting on Oct. 22, 1997, the Sabres have posted a 10-0-1 home record in the series, limiting Calgary to two goals or less nine times while scoring at least three goals eight times.However, Buffalo is 15th in the Eastern Conference and has scored just 33 goals -- an average of 1.8 per game this season. Nine of those have come at home, where the Sabres have managed one goal in each of the last five games.Brian Gionta has an idea how the Sabres can improve.What we need is to play with a little more urgency, passion, he told the Buffalo News. Thats all part of it being engaged in the game. ... We need guys laying it on the line. Things can change from shift to shift with momentum, so thats the stuff we need to play more desperate.Were still continuing to grow and learn, but I think all those experiences are going to pay off. Those tough losses weve had, the games weve kind of given away on our own, those are all things you learn from. Those are how you change your culture by taking those lessons and turn them into positivesMatt Moulson leads the team with six goals, and hes also the only Sabre with more than one goal at home in 2016-17. Ryan OReilly, Buffalos second-leading scorer (four goals, five assists), took part in an optional skate Sunday, but could miss his sixth straight game with an oblique injury..ddddddddddddilsson may get a second consecutive start over Robin Lehner, whos 0-4-1 with a 3.15 goals-against average in his last five games, and took the loss in Calgary last month.Calgary (8-11-1) began its longest road trip of the season -- a daunting stretch of six games in nine days throughout the Eastern time zone -- with Sundays 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings.Dougie Hamilton, who had gone without a point in 10 straight games, drew three assists. Hamilton, who needs one assist for 100 in his career, has two goals and three assists in a three-game points streak in Buffalo.This is huge because were looking at these six games almost like a playoff series, Hamilton said. We know we have to pick up some wins on this trip and this is a good start.With captain Johnny Gaudreau out for six weeks with a broken finger, Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said this is a teaching moment for the team.We need to play in 3-2, 2-1 games, he told the Flames official website. Its going to help us evolve as a young group to learn what it takes on a nightly basis to consistently win in this league, and this injury to Johnny, were trying to spin as a chance to grow in other departments.The Flames, who have won three of four, are 2-1-1 in the second of back-to-back games this season.If Gulutzan decides to stay with the hot hand in goal, hell start Chad Johnson over Brian Elliot.Johnson made 21 saves, and is 3-1-0 with a 1.50 GAA, a .937 save percentage and a shutout. Johnson has played for six teams since breaking into the league in 2009-10, and posted a career-best 22 wins during his only season with Buffalo in 2015-16.Going with Elliott may not be a bad thing as hes 4-0-0 with a 1.75 GAA and .952 save percentage in Buffalo. Elliott, though, has lost in each of his last five starts and is 3-8-0 with a 3.36 GAA and .882 save percentage this season. ' ' '
