PHOTO: DAVID BECKHAM GETS SILVER STATUTE

A chiselled silver statue of football ace, David Beckham has been unveiled and erected in various parts of Los Angeles and San Fracisco.

This is part of his packages as the face of the new H&M underwear campaign.

MANCHESTER UNITED'S RIO FERDINAND FINED £45, 000 OVER TWITTER COMMENT

What's with footballers and 'tweet' fines? The last victim was Emmanuel Frimpong, the newest prey is Man U defender, Rio Ferdinand. He has been heavily fined by according to Football Association for endorsing a racist tweet about Ashley Cole.

The original tweet was from a certain carltonEbanks, "Looks like Ashley Cole's going to be their choc ice. Then again he's always been a sell out. Shame on him."

Rio replied, ""I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic hahahahahaha!!".

The badly-conceived 'choc ice' word means someone is being black on the outside and white on the inside. The tweet came at a time when Ashley Cole appeared in court as a defence witness for team-mate John Terry, who was cleared of racially abusing Ferdinand's younger brother, Anton, in a game against QPR on 23 October last year.

The Football Association made it clear they did not feel Ferdinand was a racist but he had acted improperly and thus deserved a whooping £45,000 fine.

PHOTOS: VAN PERSIE NOW UNITED

You’ve heard and read it all. The pictures are here. Robin Van Persie signs the dotted lines with his new coach, Sir Alex Ferguson and then trains with his new colleague, Wayne Rooney.

What do you think of the duo? The Red Devil’s attacking force this new season will be seismic right?

Meanwhile RVP makes his debut for the club in a game between Manchester United and Everton on Monday. Watch out for Jersey number 31.

SUPERMOM EPISODE ELEVEN FEATURES COBHAMS ASUQUO& KUNLE AFOLAYAN'S MUMS

Hey good readers! How are you finding the stories on Supermom show? Unbelievable and touching right? Now you're fully convinced that behind most successful stars out there are/were mums who suffered to see them rise to the top.Sit back, relax and enjoy this week's episode!Singer, song writer and producer, Cobhams Asuquo isn't just one of the most talented young men in the Nigerian music industry, with a remarkable record of success in his chosen career, he is also a conqueror; having won several battles including that against blindness which he was born with. On this week's celebrity edition of supermom, Mrs Gladys Asuquo and her son, Cobhams who is now a husband and father, tell the intriguing story of how a blind kid turned his disability to a success story. Born like other normal children, Cobhams seemed perfectly normal until about three months after when his very observant mother began noticing his awkwardness. She quickly took him to the University Teaching Hospital in Ibadan from where they were referred to a hospital in Kano. There, her worst fears were confirmed; her son had been blind from the womb and nothing could be done to restore his sight.
Rather than cry and blame God for her seeming 'ill' fate, Mrs Asuquo who was a clerical officer in the army resigned to take care of her son and prepare him adequately for a future she knew had to be great. It wasn't easy at all. Her first responsibility was showing him that his blindness wasn't a disability. "It wasn't easy watching Cobhams do chores around the house and run errands like my other children but I resolved to make him as independent and capable of achieving anything he sets his mind to do. I showed him where his box of clothes was and would ask him to go get his clothes after bathing him," Mrs Asuquo says. These trainings came in handy when he had to move into the boarding school for his secondary education.
Cobhams' father was an officer in the army and was hardly ever around so it was up to the mother to train and sometimes solely cater for her children. At some point, when he was seconded to Chad Republic, things became so unbearable that she had to boil and sell groundnuts to sustain the family. It was in the course of this that she noticed her son's love for the drums. "He would beat on anything he could lay his hands on so I encouraged him by buying him musical toys. Cobhams never went to school to learn to play any music instrument; I think it was just an escape route for him," she says. She was therefore not surprised when he decided to drop out of the University of Lagos as a 300 level student of Law to face his passion full time.
The Asuquos' edition, airing this weekend on terrestrial television stations across the country, is a tearjerker that would keep viewers on the edge of their seats while the programme lasts. Alongside the Asuquos, the mother of celebrated filmmaker cum actor, Kunle Afolayan, Mrs Omoladun Afolayan, shares her emotive trajectory with viewers especially having to cope and cater for her kids while the patriarch, travelling theatre artist and filmmaker, Ade Love traversed the globe. Born in 1943, Moladun got married at an early age to the handsome and famous Ade Love when she was quite young. Since her husband was always on the road and had other wives and children to cater for, preferring also to invest a lot in his art, each of his wives had the responsibility of caring for their children. A street 'puff puff' seller, who later 'graduated' into selling pepper soup, Kunle, her most famous child was barely five years old when they were rendered homeless during the 'Ghana-Must-Go' era. "We had to move in with my friend's mother," the awards winning director of films like Irapada, Figurine and Phone Swap recalls. His mother takes up the story; "All we did was spend the night there. I was pregnant with my last child then and would sit outside in the cold till the Mama would come back, freshen up, and then ask us to come in and sleep. It wasn't convenient because there were bedbugs in the room and I had to stay up to keep them from biting my boys." They finally got a place of their own but in a swampy area and whenever it rained, the house would get flooded. She lost the little property they had to the flood. The days of want are clearly over but, according to Kunle, it has been hard forgetting those days when his mother sold all her clothes down to the last wrapper so they would survive.

ROBIN VAN PERSIE SWITCH: 25 FIERCE REACTIONS FROM THE FOOTBALL WORLD

Boys are still not smiling. Following Robin Van Persie's £24m switch from Arsenal to Manchester United; football fans and pundits took to the social media most especially twitter to vent their anger and register their sore displeasure at the shocking news. Here are some reactions from fanatics, ex footballers, footballers, journalists and all.A confirmation from Arsene Wenger. "He is at Manchester United, unfortunately for us. The transfer was finalised in the afternoon. It's never great to lose players of that quality but he only had a year contract."
Piers Morgan: "Funny, I really thought @Persie-Official was different. But he turned out to be just another mercenary, heartless, selfish little s**t. What a sickening betrayal of Wenger too – the man who stood so loyally behind @Persie_Official through years of injury. #VanPursestrings
Ian Wright: Sad that an AFC player has gone to a team who use to consider us rivals! God forbid a big team comes in for vermaelin ! Would he stay ?

Rio Ferdinand: 'Welcome to Manchester @Persie_Official!! Ready to win some silverware? #manutd.' Arsenal fan: 'I have one Arsenal jersey with your name on the back, @Persie_Official. I will spit on it before I burn it.' Anonymous: '@persie_official i would go on a rant about you, but im too busy taking out the knife from mr Wenger's back.'FshawOfficial: 7 years..always injured..Wenger stood by you. damn…this hurts. oh well..We rise above bullsh*** as usual. up Arsenal!"@DavidJonesSky Honestly think the RvP transfer is just the spark the Premier League needed post Olympics. Football is coming…@ollieholtmirror Van Persie signing big statement from United. Blow for Arsenal, obviously, but still think they can have good season.@henrywinter I hope @Persie_Official has the class to thank Wenger for taking a gamble on him in 2004 when others wouldn't & backing him during injuries@lukeyhills No way could @Persie_Official do two seasons on the trot! It's only a matter of time before his knees give way #AFC #Arsenal@DutchGoonerCov @Persie_Official I guess this is it then. I won't insult you, I'm Dutch. Goodbye. I would say good luck, but not for that team. No way.@ahmed14ali This is officially the worst news I've heard for 15 years ! I thought @Persie_Official was different to the rest but … Oh well #gutted@leebyron To be fair, its going to be pretty sad hearing @Persie_Official get the same reaction from the crowd as Cole, Nasri, Ade after last season..@colemikori Hey @Persie_Official I'm a gooner from America and you just made me very sad. Your exit is just as typical and equivalent to that of Nasri's@D_Tiller RVP has gone….we have bagged £24mill!! Go get Llorente!! We HAVE to!! #RVP #Arsenal #Llorente@simbizhanje As a staunch #Arsenal fan, RVP has committed the ultimate betrayal.@premy97 I really don't blame Van Persie for leaving but I really don't think people should offend him as much, he is not like Cole and Nasri@stlawal Arsenal will be underdogs in every game now, but that will work in our favour, RVP is world class but glad the saga is now #OVER@gooner1886_ I'm glad that the Van Persie saga is over now but I only wished he didn't join another PL team!! I feel angry & let down by Van Persie!Michael Carrick: He had a terrific season and he will further strengthen our squad. It is a great boost going into the new season. He is a world class player and we have always been about bringing in players of that ability.Harry Redknapp: "I could see Manchester United winning the league next year, now they've got Van Persie. He could be the difference. He really is a great signing." Danny Needham: "Arsenal need to congratulate RVP's contribution and be ecstatic with £24m. Just unfortunate he's heading to Manchester."Mark Thompson: "Thought RVP was better than that but £24M for a 29-year-old with an extensive injury record is a good deal for AFC."Chris Goodall: "RVP may provide some goals but he won't give Man Utd the composure in midfield that cost them the title last year."Nigel Winterburn: "What they need to do is work out where they are going to replace his goals. They have players to do that I think in the likes of Lukas Podolski."Source: Twitter and football blogs!

BOLTON'S FABRICE MUAMBA CALLS IT QUITS WITH FOOTBALL

Six months after recovering from a cardiac arrest, Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has announced he has called it quits with professional football.

"While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for. I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me."

The 24 year-old continued, "Since suffering my heart attack and being discharged from hospital, I have remained utterly positive in the belief I could one day resume my playing career and play for Bolton Wanderers once again."

It would be recalled that Muamba collapsed on17th March during Bolton's FA Cup tie with Tottenham Hotspur and was proclaimed "in effect dead" for 78 minutes.

He was given 15 defibrillator shocks before his heart started beating again and he spent close to four weeks in intensive care.

"As part of my on-going recovery, last week I travelled to Belgium to seek further medical advice from a leading cardiologist.

"But the news I received was obviously not what I had hoped it would be and it means I am now announcing my retirement from professional football."

"Above all else, I love the game and count myself very lucky to have been able to play at the highest level.". He explained.

Wise decision!

LIONEL MESSI, ANDRES INIESTA AND CRISTIANO RONALDO NOMINATED FOR 2011/2012 UEFA BEST PLAYER AWARD

Andrés Iniesta (Spain, FC Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Argentina, FC Barcelona), and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid CF) have been shortlisted for the 2011/2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.

Though launched last year, the award ceremony will take place on 30 August in Monaco and the outright winner will be chosen via an electronic system.

Other 6 nominees are;

4) Andrea Pirlo (Italy, Juventus)

5) Xavi Hernández (Spain, FC Barcelona)

6) Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid CF)

7) Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea FC*)

8) Petr Čech (Czech Republic, Chelsea FC)

9) Radamel Falcao (Colombia, Club Atlético de Madrid)

10) Mesut Özil (Germany, Real Madrid CF)

THE TUPAC AMARU SHAKUR FOUNDATION (TASF) HONOURS RENOWNED COMEDIAN, JULIUS AGWU

⁠ 
In recognition of his support to the Foundation during one of his visits to America, the Tupac Shakur Foundation ( TASF ) has presented an autographed Autobiography of the late rapper to one of Nigeria's comedy heavyweights, Julius Agwu.

Julius who is the first African recipient of the honour recounted, "I went to the Tupac Foundation in Atlanta and I saw the projects Tupac was working on before he died and what his Mum is presently doing there.  I bought a Brick at the Tupac Foundation and my name was inscribed on it.

If you go to the Tupac Foundation in the USA, you will see my name on one of the Bricks there along with those of other superstars."

The Autobiography titled 'Tupac Shakur Legacy', the demised rapper's mum, Afeni Shakur wrote thus;

" Julius Agwu, Peace, Love, Respect. Se Alaafia Ni? We pray we will be able to come to home, Nigeria in the future. Help make our homeland safe. We are ever hopeful for African Peace and Prosperity. "

The book contains removable reproductions of handwritten lyrics, notebook pages, personal memorabilia and 'Tupac Shakur Speaks', a 60 minute CD featuring rare interviews with the late star.

Source: Ariyatoday

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